The Academy
by Wulfric Snape
Summary: Draco and Hermione are selected to join an elite academy. Their mentors are unexpected, and their life progresses with a twist. Will their training allow them to defeat Voldemort? Starts G, will progress to M in later chapters. Will be SS/HG eventually
1. The Academy

Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK Rowling owns all characters. Plot is mine.

**Malfoy Estate**

Lucius Malfoy looked out the window of his five year-old son's room. As he observed some storm clouds rolling over the expansive estate grounds, he saw a great Eagle Owl headed towards the mansion. He opened the window immediately to allow the owl entrance, and it flew directly in and perched on his son's bed. Lucius saw a name tag around the owl's neck, which read Copernicus. He also saw that Copernicus carried an official letter, which Copernicus held out to Lucius in one of its strong talons. Before Lucius could give Copernicus a treat, he had left the same way he had come.

Lucius quietly opened the letter, as to not wake Draco, who was sleeping in the large double bed with green and silver satin sheets. As he read, he became more and more skeptical. It read:

To the Parents of Draco Malfoy,

It pleases me to tell you that Draco Malfoy has been accepted into an exclusive and secretive society of Witches and Wizards. The Academy is one of honor, courage, power, and knowledge. We have seen much power in Draco as he has grown and we would like to invite him to join our rant.

You, as his parents will not know the identity of anyone other than your son. It helps to maintain the secrecy of the Academy. I can tell you that your son will be the pupil of two of our best mentors. He will be paired with a fellow witch or wizard, with whom he will work with throughout his time at the Academy.

Please drop Draco off at Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station on the first of August at 11AM. From Hogwarts, he will be transported to the Academy.

Cordially,

The Headmaster and Headmistress of the Academy

Lucius quickly called Dobby, a house-elf that lived to serve. He told Dobby to call Narcissa, his wife, to the library, and to floo Severus Snape, his oldest friend. He needed to consult them about this suspicious letter.

* * * * *

**The Library**

"I have never heard of this _Academy_, and I'm not sure I like the idea of sending my five year-old son on a train by himself to Merlin knows where," said Narcissa, "he is my only baby boy."

"I feel the same way, but if it could train him to harness his power, he could make the Dark Lord happy. It might even get us into his inner circle. Isn't that worth it," Lucius questioned. "I think it could help all of us: he would get stronger, and we would get into the Dark Lords good graces."

"Severus, can you please talk to him? I don't think we should trust it. The letter isn't even signed by a person, just a title."

With a sigh and a deep breath, Severus spoke with a low drawling voice: "Narcissa, I understand where you are coming from, but I have heard whispers about the Academy. Very powerful witches and wizards were taught first at the Academy. I know you do not like or trust him, but Dumbledore was supposedly taught there. I feel as though you should seriously consider sending young Draco. He will learn great things there."

After hearing this, Narcissa looked a little relieved. Lucius, on the other hand, had one more question: "Severus, my only question is: does this Academy accept those filthy mudbloods? Because if they do, Draco will definitely not be going. I don't want him to be associating with _those_ kinds of people."

"Well, as far as I know, muggle-borns will never attend the Academy."

"Then it is settled. Draco will be shipped to the Academy on the first of August," Lucius declared.

Meanwhile, on the other side of London….

* * * * *

**The Granger Residence**

Peter and Anne Granger were fairly plain muggles. They were dentists by profession, and the proud parents of a precocious young girl named Hermione. As Peter and Anne were sitting around the kitchen table, drinking tea, their five-year-old daughter was playing in the yard. The doorbell rang, and together, the Grangers walked across the humble two story home to the door. A striking woman, who was wearing an unusual set of clothing, was standing stiffly on the porch. The Grangers invited her into their living room, and offered the stern looking woman some tea.

As they settled into the sofa, the stern woman spoke: "Please, forgive the intrusion. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to tell you that your daughter is extraordinary. She is, in point of fact, a very powerful witch."

"Is this some kind of joke? Do you have a hidden camera somewhere? You must be off your rocker to think our Hermione is a witch" stated Anne.

Peter was quick to agree: "there is no way. Hermione is as normal as she could possibly be. Plus, there is no such thing as magic. Now, please leave."

"I'm sorry to shock you like this, but magic does exist." As she said this, she transformed the teacup she was holding into a crow and back again. "And, Hermione, once trained, will be one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful witch of her generation. Here is an invitation for her to attend a prestigious society for her schooling." Minerva then proceeded to give the Grangers an identical letter to the one Draco had received. It was accompanied by a letter explaining how to get to platform 9 ¾.

As Minerva got up to leave, Peter had finally digested what he was hearing: "But who will be teaching our daughter? How will we know that she is safe?"

"While I cannot tell you who will be teaching your daughter, I can tell you that her mentors at the Academy will write monthly letters to you. They will include how she is faring away from home, as well as how she is progressing. These letters will come by owl. His name is Copernicus. When he comes, you just need to open your window to him and he will give you the letters. If you ever want to write back, all you need to do is have a letter prepared, and Copernicus will bring the letter to Hermione's mentors. I will be off now, thank you for your time."

* * * * *

**King's Cross Station: 10:30AM **

Two weeks later, both the Malfoys and the Grangers arrived at platform 9 ¾. The Grangers arrived first; just to be sure they would find the proper platform. They were unsure what to do once getting to the train, but a station manager took Hermione onto the Red steam engine and shooed them away. Anne began crying, and Peter did his best to comfort her.

As the Grangers headed to the car, they saw a man with stark blond hair leading his wife and young son into the station. They seemed to be walking with a purpose, only carrying one bag. The Malfoys headed straight towards the wall between platforms 9 and 10 and ended up staring at the same red steam engine they rode every year for seven years. They hugged and kissed their young son and then left him to the station manager for boarding. Lucius and Narcissa found it very strange that there were no other parents or children anywhere on the platform, but due to the strict security surrounding the train, they quickly left the platform.

Draco was led to a compartment on the front of the train, with the only other passenger, a five-year-old bushy-haired young girl. She was crying. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, he spoke to her: "Ar…are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Through her sobs, she quietly answered: "I...I...don't...want...to…leave…my…mommy and daddy."

"I don't want to leave my momma or daddy. But we get to go learns magic. I is excited about that. I try not to think 'bout leaving my momma and daddy. I just think 'bout the fun parts."

"What is your name? I'm Hermione. You can call me Hermy if you want, my mommy does."

"I'm Draco, just Draco. Hermy, can I sit with you? I think it will be a long ride, and I don't want to sit by myself."

"Yeah, I don't wants to sit by myself too. Come in, we can sit together."

It was then that the train began to move. Throughout the long ride, the two five-year-olds played and talked. They arrived at Hogwarts tired, but happy that they now had a friend they could talk to. They were escorted off of the train by the same stern woman that had visited Hermione's home. They climbed down to the platform and saw a beautiful castle high up on a hill.

"Is that where we are going?" Hermione asked in shock.

A quiet voice answered from the shadows: "no, you and young Draco will be coming with me to the Academy. This is Hogwarts. You will be attending this school in six years time."

Minerva seemed to have disappeared, as the man that belonged to the voice entered the lighted area. He was tall and skinny with mousy brown hair. "My name is Remus Lupin. I will be one of your mentors for the next six years. You will meet your other mentor once we reach the Academy. Touch this stick, and hold on to your bags tightly."

Draco and Hermione glanced at each other, and tentatively touched the stick in Remus Lupin's hand. They saw tons of spinning colors and felt a lot of wind. When they felt their feet touch the ground, they both fell to their knees. Even Remus looked uneasy on his feet after traveling. Once Draco and Hermione were steady, they walked through a large archway with gates that closed behind them. Remus led them to a building that was almost as large as Hogwarts. They went through a large hallway and into a small study. Draco and Hermione stood silently at the door, holding hands and shaking like leaves. They were both very scared.

Sitting in a brown leather wing-backed chair was a tall woman with stark black hair. It reached her shoulders and looked silky smooth. She was not conventionally pretty, but with her angular features, even the children were struck by her beauty. She spoke in a melodious, hypnotic voice: "My name is Severity. Remus and I will be your mentors from this point forward. We will be the only people you interact with within these walls. This allows us to maintain our mission, which you will understand more in years to come. Anything that you will need for schooling will be provided by the Academy. For this year, you will be working on reading, writing, math, and physical fitness. You will need all of these traits for the rest of your life, especially as an agent for the Academy."

"You will begin tomorrow. Follow me, and I will lead you to your suite. I'm sure you got to know each other on the train, now, you will live together. Chances are, you will grow to be like siblings. You'll need to." Having said this, Remus led them out of the room and up a spiral stair case. There was a small entry way at the top of the stairs, with a large set of double doors. Inside the suite, there was a small living room with a comfy sofa and a few chairs. There were three rooms off of the living room, one bathroom and two bedrooms. The two children each chose a room, Draco took the room with green walls and silver sheets, and Hermione took the red room with gold sheets. Once they put their stuff in their rooms, Remus tucked them into bed and after a long day, they fell fast asleep.

* * * * *

**August Second- The Academy**

"Do you think they will be as strong as Dumbledore and Minerva say they will be? They seem very timid to me."

"Sev, relax. They are only five years-old. They are away from their parents for the first time. We will have to baby them for a while."

"Damn it Remus, you know I don't do babying, I never have. I hated being babied when I was here, just as you did."

"I never hated it; you are just a sourpuss dear. Sometimes you need to be less independent; Dumbledore always said it was your weakness."

"Remus, Dumbledore is not here, our times of being mentored by he and Minerva have come to a close. I don't need you to be him; I need you to be my best friend, just like you always have been. I'm not sure if I know how to do this. I'm not a good mother figure."

"Severity, you are the most qualified Academy member there ever was, plus, their house-elf Polly will help with the care of the youngsters. Dumbledore always said that you were smarter and stronger than he is. Now relax and go wake the children for breakfast. Then we will work on reading and writing."

Hermione was awake before Severity entered the suite. In fact, she had already woken Draco as well. She had run into Draco's room yelling like a banshee: "WAKE UP! WAKE UP DRAKE! OUR LESSONS START TODAY! I'M SO EXCITED! LETS GOOOOO!!!!"

"Hermy? Is that you? Why are you 'wake? It's so early," Draco Whined. "And my name's not Drake, Hermy, its Draco."

"But I like calling you Drake. It sounds cool. Can I please call you Drake? Please, please, please?"

"Fine, but only if you let me sleep longer."

Before Hermione could answer, Severity cut in: "No one sleeps any longer little man. Let's get dressed and get breakfast. Then we start with reading and writing."

Hermione had run to her room before Severity had finished, and before Draco was out of bed, she was dressed and ready to go. As Severity had told them, they ate a hearty breakfasts of eggs, bacon and toast, and then they started with their reading and writing.

They made great progress over the course of the term, and by Christmas break, they were both reading and writing with excellent comprehension. They had actually begun their study of math and fitness earlier than scheduled. While it was Christmas break, they were not going home, but staying at the Academy. They basically had three weeks to spend with each other, Polly, and Severity and Remus. Over the course of the term, Both Severity and Remus had begun calling Draco Drake and Hermione Hermy. In turn, the children called Severity Sev.

The children had frequently asked Remus where Sev was during the day for most of the term, but all Remus would tell them was that she had another job. She was always there for their bedtime stories, though, which Hermy and Drake both loved to read. The four had become very close, doing as much together as they possibly could over the Christmas break. When the year had ended, in late may, the group did not want to separate.

Over the course of the next five years, they grew even closer. Hermione and Draco became adept at physical fighting, defense, as well as getting ahead in most of their Hogwarts classes. Late one night, Draco and Hermione were discussing the next seven years with Severity.

"What will it be like there? There are going to be so many people. What if we fail?" questioned Hermione.

Since when have you ever failed anything, Hermy? You beat me in everything we ever do. Relax and you will be fine," Draco answered, while Severity just chuckled softly.

"You two will both be fine. Now, I do need to talk to you about some tasks I have for you. Hermione, you will be assigned to help protect a young man named Harry Potter. He is my school-time rival's son, and I have to pretend to hate him. Therefore, I will have to pretend to hate you as well. I don't want this to deter you from your job. Do you understand me?"

"But Sev, I don't want to be friends with Harry Potter; I want to hang out with Drake. Can't I do that?"

"Draco will most likely be placed in Slytherin. He has the ambition and he has the lineage to be placed there. You, with your unwavering stubborn streak and your brains, will probably be placed in either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. If that is the case, you two will have to pretend to hate each other. No one in Gryffindor likes anyone in Slytherin and vice versa. You both will cope as best you can."

"Will you still be teaching us during the year?" Draco asked.

"Yes, Remus and I both feel that it will be best to continue your education throughout the year. You are making too much progress to stop now. Once we get to Hogwarts, I will be wearing a disguise and teaching as the potions master…"

Severity then continued to explain that she has been disguising herself since she was eleven years old. This was and is a ploy to attract the Dark Lord to a vulnerable young person, a young man to be exact. Severity disguises herself, everyday, as Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin at Hogwarts. "While I will be close to Draco regularly, I will only see you at meals, during our secret lessons, and during class, Hermy. If you ever need me, you can come to my office, but you must come alone. Do you understand why?"

Hermione thought for a moment and then answered: "Because if anyone saw you being nice to me, it could blow your cover, Right?"

"Exactly. Now, go ahead and get to bed, you leave for home tomorrow morning. I will see you in September." Severity gave each of them a tight hug, and left them to ponder what the next year would bring.

* * * * *


	2. The Hogwarts Experss

Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK Rowling owns all characters. Plot is mine.

Note: How did I do with the 5 year-old dialogue? R+R please!

**The summer before First Year**

Hermione and Draco sent frequent owls back and forth throughout the summer. They were both dreading their separation next year, and still trying to discover the best personas to embody. In early July, Hermione came up with the perfect cover story for Draco.

Drake,

I figured out what you should do. I know you don't really approve of your fathers views on muggles and muggle-born witches, but I think, if you can convince the people at Hogwarts that you agree with your father, then it would make it easier for you to get along with the Slytherins. You have always been the head-strong, ring-leader type of person, so maybe you could find some stupid lackeys to follow you around. If you get two thuggish guys, then you could hide your fighting skills easier. What do you think? Do you have any ideas for me? I don't want to differ too much from my own personality. You know that I'm not good at acting. I'm rambling, so I will wish you a good night. I miss you brother.

Your best friend,

Hermy

P.S. Your new owl, Athena, is gorgeous

When Draco received Hermione's letter, his first instinct was to brush off her idea. He did not like the idea of 'hating' muggle-born witches and wizards, and he definitely did not like looking like a prissy boy that can't defend himself; but upon further musings, Draco realized that it would probably be the best course of action. He wrote her back immediately.

Hermy,

I was so happy to hear from you. Although I truly dislike the idea of being a wanker and needing bodyguards, I do see the reasoning behind your plan. I know of two boys that will be attending Hogwarts with us; they are sons of my father's friends. I think their names are Crabbe and Goyle, but I'm not sure. I will see if my father can set up a meet with them; tell him I want to know some kids before going to Hogwarts or something like that. I should be able to pull that one off easily enough.

As for your disguise, if you can call it that, why don't you play the bookworm type? Always try to impress professors, show up the pure-bloods (like yours truly) and that way you don't have to hide your power, but it just looks like you are an over achiever. Plus, you might be able to use your 'study breaks' as an excuse to see Sev. I know being separated from her is hard for you. I'm off to bed before my Father blows a caldron. Goodnight luv,

Your brother,

Drake

Draco sent the letter off with Athena, his brand new Northern Hawk Owl. As he was getting ready for bed, he could see her soaring off the grounds of the Malfoy Estate towards London. He was having trouble thinking about anything other than the Academy. He really missed Hermione, Severity, and Remus, especially Remus. While Hermione and Severity had become very good friends, so had Draco and Remus, and Draco was dreading an entire year without seeing his good friend. _If only Remus taught at Hogwarts too. Then we could all be together again_. With this thought, Draco fell into a deep sleep, riddled with dreams of Hogwarts and his unofficial family.

* * * * *

**Diagon Alley**

As Hogwarts grew closer, Draco and Hermione continued their correspondence, quickly wearing Athena ragged. They both received owls from Remus and Severity regularly, but it was not the same as seeing them every day. In early August, Draco and his parents went to Diagon Alley to obtain all of his school supplies. The Malfoys had arranged to see the Crabbes and Goyles for lunch, as well. This would allow Draco to put the first step of his plan in motion: obtain two bodyguards. He would also be able to implement his 'hatred' for muggle-born witches and wizards. The Malfoys were running late for lunch, so Draco's parents left him at Madam Malkin's shop, while they went to meet the Crabbes and Goyles.

As Draco was being fitted for his uniform, he found the perfect opportunity to express his Hogwarts persona: he met Harry Potter, the boy who lived. _Maybe I can pretend to be that snotty-nosed kid who knows that he is better than everyone else_. "Hey you, are you headed to Hogwarts too?"

Harry answered tentatively: "Yeah, I'm a first year."

"Me too, do you know what house you will be in? I'm going to be in Slytherin, the best of all four houses. Only Pure-bloods are allowed in Slytherin, Thank Merlin. I don't understand why _muggle-borns_ are even accepted to Hogwarts. I think they are a disgrace to the Wizarding World, don't you?"

"Um…I don't know."

"Well, it looks like I'm done. I guess I will see you at Hogwarts then. Bye."

As Draco left Madam Malkin's, he had a smug look on his face. _That wasn't so hard_. _I just have to act like my father, and I will finish my assignment easily._

Draco sauntered into the Three Broom Sticks to see his parents sitting with two other families. The young boys sitting at the table were tall, fat and looked dumber than rocks. They would make the perfect thugs for Draco. The rest of the summer was spent earning the trust of the pig like goons and influencing them to follow his every word.

* * * * *

**The Hogwarts Express- Hermione's Ride**

Hermione arrived at platform 9 ¾ at 10:30 AM, as usual. She calmly walked through the wall, and was surprised to see so many people milling around the bright red steam engine. In all of the years she had been riding the train, she had never seen anyone other than Draco. Now, she had to fight her way through the crowd of parents and students to get her luggage onto the train. She then set off to find one of the comfortable rooms. Her favorite compartment was already taken by a few seventh years, and they did not look like they were willing to share.

She moved along the train until she found an empty compartment. As she settled in, she was hoping to see Draco, even just for a second. She missed him more than she cared to admit. As she was reminiscing about the last six years, a tall, slightly chubby boy with brown hair came stumbling into the compartment.

"Excuse me; have you seen a toad in here? I've lost him, and I can't find him. I don't want to leave him at the station. Can you help me find him? His name is Trevor. I've been to every compartment so far," exclaimed the boy.

Hermione eyed him with a slight air of contempt due to his rude interruption of her musings, but felt that she needed to help this boy. "My name is Hermione Granger. I will help you look for your toad. What is your name?"

"I'm Neville. Thank you so much for helping me. The other people I asked just slammed the door in my face and laughed at me."

Together Neville and Hermione searched the train, Neville taking one side and Hermione taking the other. Hermione was delighted to see Draco in one of the compartments, but then she quickly masked her joy with her bookworm persona.

"Excuse me, have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one."

Draco looked at her and his silver eyes lit up, but he held his joy in check: "What do I care about a stupid toad. Get out of my compartment, you don't belong here."

Hermione was a little shocked by Draco's sharp tone, but she tried to push her feelings aside. She continued down the train until she found a room with two boys in it. One was very tall with a long nose and exceptionally red hair, and the other had jet black hair, glasses, and unusual scar on his forehead. _I can't believe it! I found him. Now I just need to befriend him, and probably that red-headed boy too_.

"Excuse me, have either of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one…are you Harry Potter?"

The boy with the scar answered tentatively: "Um…yes. But I haven't seen any toads."

"Oh, ok. Well just to let you know, we should be arriving soon, you better change into your robes. I'm Hermione, by the way."

The red-headed boy, with a smudge on his nose, answered: "I'm Ron. It would be nice if you could leave so we can change? Thanks."

"Okay, I will see you guys at Hogwarts then." With that, she stepped out of the compartment and wandered back to her own. _This is going to be harder than I thought. I need to be on their good side. How can I get them to trust me?_ As she was contemplating ways to gain their trust, she felt the train pull to a stop. She excitedly jumped off the train and headed towards the deep, booming voice calling for the first years.

* * * * *

**The Hogwarts Express- Draco's Ride**

Draco Crabbe and Goyle arrived to the platform earlier than anyone else. They opted to find a compartment towards the middle of the train so that they could watch the other students board the train. Draco now had one primary goal: he needed to show other students that he, along with Crabbe and Goyle, will be ruling the school through money and force. _Crabbe and Goyle were the best choice for lackeys,_ thought Draco. _They follow my every word, they look really mean, and they will be loyal to me and only me_.

Draco was daydreaming as he looked out the window, while Crabbe and Goyle were fighting over a Chocolate Frog Card. The platform was getting crowded with parents and students alike. Draco saw, to his delight, Hermione, boarding the train. He hoped that he would get to see her, but he knew that he had to maintain his cover. The only way to do so would be to insult her. _I don't want to hurt her, but she will understand. It's for the assignment. I wonder if Sev will be there when we get to Hogwarts_. With his mind wandering in all different directions, he almost didn't see Harry Potter board the train. At some point during the ride, he needed to extend a hand of friendship to the Boy-Who-Lived. _It is what the Dark Lord would expect from the son of Lucius Malfoy. Sev said Voldemort was going to return by the end of this year. Why couldn't he just stay dead?_

A few hours into the train ride, Draco got restless. "Come on Crabbe, Goyle. We are going for a walk."

Without question, the two thugs followed Draco out of the compartment. They walked towards the back of the train and stopped at Harry Potter's compartment. Sitting with Potter was a red-head that had to be a Weasley. _Father told me about the Weasleys. I need to hate them as much as my father does._ "Hello again, there is a rumor that Harry Potter is in this compartment. Since I know this one," tilting his head at the read-head, "is a Weasley, so you must be the famous Boy-Who-Lived. I'm Draco Malfoy and this is Crabbe and Goyle."

Harry looked from Ron to Draco to Ron again. "This is Ron and I'm Harry."

"I'm going to give you some free advice Potter…you may want to realize that there are some wizarding families that are better than others. I can help you there." With that, he stuck his hand out for Harry to shake.

Harry did no such thing. Instead he looked to Ron and said: "I think I can decide that for myself thanks."

Draco had been expecting this answer, and therefore snarled: "You should watch out Potter, if you aren't nicer, you may go the same way your parents did." And with that, he stormed out, with Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him.

Draco wished he could talk to Hermione about their plans. He wasn't sure if he had handled Potter properly, and he wanted to check in with Hermione's plan as well. As he was thinking about Hermione, she opened his compartment door. She asked him about a Toad, and he had to put on a show for Crabbe and Goyle. _She looked so hurt when I said that. I hope she understands that I HAD to say that. Maybe I can send her a letter later tonight_. With that final thought, he got his robes on and he prepared to get off of the train.

* * * * *

**The Sorting Hat**

All of the first years were amazed by the sight of Hogwarts. All but two: Draco and Hermione had heard all about Hogwarts from Severity. They were both looking forward to seeing that Severity looked like in her disguise, because Sev had never revealed what 'Severus' looks like.

The First years were ushered into the Great Hall and were told to stand facing the other students. Professor McGonagall had pulled out a four-legged stool and a raggedy looking hat. This hat had patches and tears, but all of the students were staring at it as though it held the answers to life's greatest questions. Severity never told Hermione and Draco about the hat, so they were both shocked to watch the hat not only move on its own, but to sing a song. It spoke of the four houses and how they function together. Then, McGonagall began calling names of first years to be sorted.

When Hermione's name was called, she practically ran to the stool. She couldn't contain her excitement to finally be sorted. When the hat was placed on her head, she heard a distinct voice in her ear.

"Ah, what a smart girl you are. I can see that you have been trained in the Academy, as you are much more advanced than any of the other students."

Hermione was slightly worried at this statement. "You know about the Academy? Will you tell anyone?"

"No child, I have no need for that information. It only helps me figure out where to put you. With your brains, you would fit perfectly in Ravenclaw, but you seem to have the courage for Gryffindor. Now, I do not want to interfere with your assignment, so which house would you prefer to be in?"

"Well, I think Harry will be in Gryffindor, so I guess I would like to be placed there." Once she said this, she heard the hat shout out: "Gryffindor!"

She then ran to the table. She looked up to the Professors' table in hopes of spotting Severity. She noticed a dark man speaking with another man in a turban. _I wonder if that is her. They have the same eyes. It must be her_.

Draco had noticed the eyes as well, and sent a nod in the Professor's direction. He continued to watch his fellow first years being sorted until he heard his name. He sauntered to the stool, and placed the hat on his head. "Another Malfoy. Well, I could always place you in Slytherin, but you are also a member of the Academy. Would Slytherin help you with your assignment? I could always place you in Ravenclaw. You definitely have the brains."

"How do you know I'm in the Academy?"

"It's all here in your head, young Malfoy."

"Oh, well I guess Slytherin would be best for my assignment."

The hat shouted Slytherin, and Draco walked to the table and sat between Crabbe and Goyle. He sent a meaningful glance towards Hermione and then towards Severity when Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffindor.

The feast began after a short speech from Dumbledore, and then all of the students headed to their common rooms. Draco went down to the snake pit and got to see Severity's disguise up close and personal. 'Severus Snape' was a tall, angular man, with greasy black hair and a crooked nose. The only thing that reminded Draco of Severity was the dark onyx eyes that radiated warmth in his direction. Draco felt exceptionally better knowing that Sev was so close to him, but he worried about Hermione.

Both Draco and Hermione fell asleep that night thinking the same thing: _I wonder what this year will bring_.

* * * * *


	3. A Werewolf in the Shrieking Shack

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for the fantastic reviews. I will hopefully have the next few chapters up by the time I go back to school. Happy Reading. Please Review!

Wulfric

**First Year**

The first few weeks of the year flew by for both Draco and Hermione. Draco found that he could easily pull off the snotty persona as long as he had some time to himself every day. For this reason, he had Crabbe and Goyle 'protect' him throughout classes up until dinner, and then after dinner, he would either go to the library, his room, or on very good days, he would go to the office of his Head of House, Severus Snape. Whenever he got to go see Sev, he always felt guilty, because he knew that Hermione was probably very lonely without her two best friends, Sev and himself. Hermione was frequently a topic of conversation when he got to visit is mentor.

One night, while sipping tea and sitting across from Draco, Sev asked about Hermione. "Drake, have you been able to talk to Hermy recently? I'm not sure she is making much headway with our resident celebrity." Sev was still in disguise in case any other students came to her office with questions. Other than her masculine appearance, she always wore black pants, black, dragon skin boots, a white dress shirt with a black frock and black dress robes. It gave her disguise a very severe guise.

"We have sent each other some coded messages, but as far as I know, Potter is sticking close to that Weasley kid and not caring one ounce about Hermy. I'm worried about her, to tell you the truth. Her letters seem lack luster and almost bored."

"I was afraid this might happen. We went over so much of the school material last year. Hermy is probably bored out of her skull. The only thing keeping her going is her assignment, but she is really struggling to earn that thick-headed boy's trust." As Sev said this, she began to formulate an idea that would both continue Hermione and Draco's training as well as possibly get Hermione on the right track with the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Drake, I have to ask you to leave. I must contact Remus right away!"

"But Sev, you can't. It's the night before the full moon. He's probably already in the Shrieking Shack."

"I know which is why you must leave. I'm going to head down there to discuss a plan I have for you and Hermione. There might be a way to continue your training here at Hogwarts."

"You're going to use your Animagus form, aren't you? Will you tell me what it is? I've always wanted to know."

"No, I will not tell or show you my form yet. That will be saved until we start that part of your training. Now, out before I take away house points. Send a message to Hermione and let her know that I think I have solved her problems with Potter. I will see you tomorrow Drake. You can stop by at 7 o'clock." With that, Severity headed out of the Potion's class room and up towards the entrance hall.

Draco, on the other hand, slowly traveled towards the Slytherin common room and then straight up to his room. He withdrew his Eagle feather quill from his bag, as well as his bottle of blue ink and he composed a letter.

Dearest Hermy,

How are things at your school? It is lonely here in Surrey, with only the two bulldogs to keep me company. We miss you a lot, and we hope to see you at Christmas time. Sarah sends her love. She wanted me to let you know that she has a plan for the Christmas present you two are working on. I think I have my present figured out, but if you have any suggestions, I would be open to them.

I think Sarah is going to meet with Robert tonight to get more ideas for your present, so I will let you know what they figure out.

I love and miss you,

Your almost Brother.

P.S. Sarah mentioned her Halloween costume again, but I can't get her to tell me what it is. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Once he was satisfied with the letter, he called for Athena. She happily took the rolled up scroll in one of her strong talons and took off out the window. As she was flying towards the Gryffindor tower, Athena looked down to see the most unusual scene, a Black Panther dodging the frantic arms of the Whomping Willow. She continued to soar until she reached a small window near the top of Gryffindor tower.

* * * * *

Hermione was sitting in the corner of the Gryffindor common room in an over-stuffed leather chair reading her transfiguration text and keeping an eye on Harry. She knew that, though they weren't friends yet, she still had an obligation to keep him safe. She had also read the transfiguration book three times before, but transfiguration seemed to draw her in, like a magnet. She was in the middle of reading about an incantation that would allow her to turn leaves into birds, when Hermione heard a faint tapping sound coming from the nearby window. She glanced at the window and was instantly filled with warmth when she saw Draco's owl looking back at her. She rushed to the window and allowed the Northern Hawk Owl into the common room. Athena dropped the letter in Hermione's hand, playfully nibbled her ear, and then perched on the back of the chair in which Hermione had been sitting moments before.

Hermione read the note, deciphering it as she went. _Surrey means Slytherin, and bulldogs means Crabbe and Goyle, so he must really be struggling to spend every waking moments with such stupid guys. Sarah is Sev, and Robert is Remus. Maybe they are going to be discussing lessons for Draco and me. That would be so good. Apparently Sev knows that I have been struggling to get close to Harry, because they are going to discuss my 'Christmas present.' Hopefully they figure something out soon, because I don't know if I can do this much longer. Plus, I just want to see Drake and Sev outside of potions._

Hermione read and reread the letter over and over again to see if she missed anything else that might be in code. She then moved on to the post script. _Sev mentioned his Animagus form? But why would she mention it?_ As she contemplated this, her eyes drifted out the window, and through a thin layer of clouds, she could see the moon…the nearly full moon. Faster than you can say Quidditch, she realized that Remus must be in the Shrieking Shack preparing to transform, as he does every full moon, and that Sev was going there to talk to him. _Oh no, I hope they are both okay. I hate when Sev goes to talk to him. I worry all night long._ With that final thought, Hermione turned towards the stairs leading to her room. In her contemplation, she had missed the fact that she was the last person remaining in the common room. Hermione quickly jotted a note to Draco expressing her relief that she would be getting some help with her 'Christmas present' soon, and her curiosity as to what 'Sarah's Halloween costume' was. She handed it to Athena, who promptly took off out the window. She then trudged up to her four-poster bed knowing that she would get very little sleep tonight.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Severity had walked out to the grounds of Hogwarts, and in the cover of shadow, quickly transformed into a large and powerful Black Panther. She was quite beautiful in her animagus form, in a completely intimidating way. If one were to look closely at her coat, the smooth sheen of her coat would give way to the classic rosette pattern unique to Jaguars. A light marking would also be visible in the vague shape of an 'A' near her left hip. In this form, Sev quickly crossed the grounds headed straight for the Whomping Willow. With great agility, she dodged the swinging arms, pushed the knot at the base of the tree, and rabbited down the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack.

Once in the tunnel, she slowly stalked into the building, using her fantastic sight to look for Remus. She crept down a long hallway and found only one room being occupied. Curled up and shaking in the corner of the far room was a large, handsome, tawny wolf. When standing, the wolf would easily be taller than Severity's waist, and probably weighed over 120 lbs. Severity had tried to get there before the transformation, but she had arrived too late; however, due to Severity's skills, the Wolfsbane potion was already in his system. Instead of turning into the fearsome werewolf that he could be, he turned into a common, albeit unusually large wolf. He whimpered when Severity entered the room, and she immediately transformed back into her female, human form and began to speak in soft tones. Once he stopped shaking, she moved to the bed, and he slowly followed her. _We won't get anything accomplished tonight. I will talk to him when he regains his human form._ "Remus, I will stay the night with you here, and then we can talk, okay?"

The wolf looked at Severity and slowly nodded its head. He then curled up on one side of the bed, obviously expecting Severity to use the other. Hours later, as the sun began to rise, and the moon to set, Severity awoke to heavy breathing: Remus was transforming back into his human form. She could see the pain in his features as he regained his normal shape, knowing that the Wolfsbane potion could do nothing to dull the pain. Severity allowed Remus to regain his composure before speaking.

"I know you do not usually enjoy company during the transformation, but I needed to speak with you."

"Couldn't you have waited until this morning? What if the potion hadn't worked properly? I could have hurt you, could have killed you. Then what would you have done?"

"I obviously wouldn't do anything if you had killed me," Severity said with a chuckle. "There was a reason I came in my animagus form you know. I easily could have protected myself if I had to."

"Why do you always have to patronize me when I'm worried about you? Can't you just concede that you shouldn't have been here?"

"Admit that I was wrong? Which I'm obviously not; I could never, that would go against my charming personality."

"Damn it Sev, I'm just worried about hurting you."

With a sigh, Severity conceded: "I know, but you don't need to worry. You have never hurt me before. Now, can we discuss what I came for? Or are you going to gripe some more?"

"Fine, I'm assuming this has to do with Hermione or Draco?"

"You are correct on both counts. First of all, Hermy is finding it extremely difficult to get close to Harry Potter. Every time she tries, it's almost as though he brushes her off because she is too smart. But she has already developed her smarter-than-thou persona, and cannot change it now. Do you have any ideas to help her?"

"That is an interesting dilemma. What if she was to 'attempt' to face something, I'm thinking a beast or something, which she could not conquer. She would 'need' someone to come to her 'rescue.' Harry could 'save' her and then they would become close through the adventure. That should maintain her cover, while getting her close to the boy."

"That is an interesting prospect, but how would we get her into that situation?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet. Let me think about it for a little bit. What was the other thing you wanted to talk about?"

Remembering that there were two topics that she wished to discuss with her friend, she spoke: "I want to start training Drake and Hermy while they are at school. We went over most of their curriculum last year, so other than the practical application, they are way ahead of their peers. I'm thinking about going to Albus and asking for the use of the Room of Requirement for the year. We could start with dueling. That would be our next lesson anyway, right?"

"That is probably a good idea. I sense trouble brewing, and I'm not sure I like them being as unprepared as they are. Would you like me to go with you to see Albus?"

"No, I don't think you should be going into the castle. What if some students saw you? They might ask questions. You stay here for the day, try to get some rest. I will be back before sundown so I can be here when you transform."

"Sev, do not come down here. Send Copernicus with the results of your talk with our happy-go-lucky mentor. Send some food too, I'm starving. Red meat if you could," Remus said with a chuckle.

"As you wish, my dear friend. Get some sleep, you look like shit." She waved to him as she left, transforming into a Black Panther as she headed out of the tunnel. From there, she headed straight for the Headmaster's office.

* * * * *

At 6:55 that evening, Draco was impatiently waiting outside of the potions classroom. He was leaning against the cold stone walls, counting the minutes until his meeting with his Head of House. 6:56…6:57…6:58…6:59…as the clock struck 7 o'clock, Draco heard the tell tale signs of Severus Snape: "Five points from Gryffindor, and don't let me catch you in this hallway again!" Chuckling to himself, Draco stood up from his leaning position and allowed the Potions Master to enter the classroom first. Silently, they walked past four rows of student work stations, past Snape's mahogany desk, and into the attached office.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Draco broke the silence, practically screaming with excitement: "So what did you decide?!"

"You and Hermione are going to be training with me in the Room of Requirement two nights a week. Today is Monday; your first meeting will be three days from tonight, Thursday, at 8 o'clock. You will tell your friends that you are studying in the library. We will meet here. Do not contact Hermione, I will send her a letter myself." Severity spoke quickly and concisely.

"That won't be a problem. I'm not even sure Crabbe and Goyle know where the library is. How is Remus? Did the transformation go well?" Draco was quite concerned about his other mentor, with whom he was very close. Due to his worrying, he hadn't slept well the night before.

"Remus is doing fine. The potion helped him, and I stayed with him through the night. He will be perfectly fine tonight as well, so don't worry. Now, get out of here and get some of your work done. I will see you tomorrow in Potions."

As Draco left, Sev pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill from a mahogany desk that matched the one in the classroom. In his tidy handwriting, he composed a short note.

Miss Granger,

I strongly request your presence in my office no later than 8 o'clock in the evening this coming Thursday. If you do not arrive by this time, you will be issued a week's worth of detentions.

No response is necessary.

Severus Snape

Potions Master

Slytherin Head of House

Once finished, she rolled up the parchment and handed it to Copernicus. "Take this directly to Hermione. Stick around until she is done reading it. If anyone is near her, make sure they do not see the message. Understand?"

Copernicus gave Sev a look that clearly stated that he understood, and without waiting another moment, he took off out the open window.

* * * * *


	4. Halloween has Come and Gone

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for the fantastic reviews. I hope this chapter will clear up any questions you may have. Happy Reading. Please Review!

Wulfric

**Thursday Night- 8:00PM**

Thursday night, Draco and Hermione met outside of the Potions Masters' office. Draco snarled at her, but they did not speak. As the clock began to chime, the Head of Slytherin exited the office and continued down the hall. It was fairly obvious to the two students that they were supposed to follow. The trio traveled silently down hallways and up staircases until they reached the seventh floor. They stood in front of a tapestry for a few minutes, and then suddenly, to the surprise of Hermione and Draco, a doorway appeared.

They entered the room to find a wide open area with a large variety of weapons hanging on the wall. The floor, while solid to walk on, seemed to be padded. Once the door slammed closed, the stern potions master took out his wand and ran it from his head to his toes. As the wand moved down his body, the fearsome Potions Master was transformed into their beautiful mentor.

"Sev, why do you pretend to be a man when you are not at the Academy? I mean I know that you have been doing it since before you attended Hogwarts, but why?" Draco asked. The question had been plaguing him and Hermione ever since they found out.

"You guys are here to learn about hand-to-hand combat, not about my past. Now let's get to work, okay?"

Hermione tried this time. "But Sev, how can you expect us to continue to learn when we are distracted by this?"

"I expect you to learn because you expect me to teach. I am your mentor and I don't think you need to know the reasoning for my disguise."

"We do though. It obviously has something to do with tricking Voldemort, but we don't understand. Please explain it to us Sev. Please," Hermione tried again.

"You guys aren't going to work until I tell you, are you?"

"Nope, of course not," Draco answered quickly.

"Fine, but I want you to know that I am only doing this to get you to listen to me. When Remus and I were learning from our mentors, Voldemort was in the process of gaining followers. While he was still going by Tom Riddle, he was gaining power quickly. It didn't seem likely that he would do much until he got more followers, but there was a looming fear surrounding his name.

"As we got closer to Hogwarts, we sat down and discussed the upcoming seven years. We were primarily discussing Remus and his Lycanthropy, but the topic of Voldemort came up. We thought it would be useful to have a mole in his ranks in order to make note of how Voldemort was progressing. As you know, all Academy pairs include one male and one female student, but we were very hesitant to put Remus in that position. If Voldemort was able to use Remus as a weapon…well let's just say that we couldn't take that chance.

"My mentors suggested an alternative. They thought that if I were to disguise myself as a wayward male student, then Voldemort might be interested in recruiting me to his ranks. The first eleven years of my life, I spent as myself; the female, Severity Snape. Since then, any time that I am not behind closed doors, my undercover assignment forces me into my male persona, Severus Snape."

"Wow, so you have been living as a man to appease your mentors?" Draco questioned.

"No Drake, she's been doing this for the Academy. She needs to be Severus to maintain her cover with Voldemort. Right?" Hermione answered Draco.

"Exactly. Now, can we get to today's lesson?"

"I have one more question. If you are in Voldemort's ranks, and he died when he tried to kill Harry, then where does that leave you?"

"Well Hermy, I'm not really sure that Voldemort is really dead."

"What?!"

"Are you serious?!"

"Calm down guys. Yes I'm serious, but Remus and I think that he is in a severely weakened state. That is one of the main reasons we are continuing your lessons during the school year. We want to make sure that you are prepared. Do you understand? Can we continue with the lesson now?"

"Yes."

"Let's do it."

To Severity's relief, they finally began their first lesson. They worked on the basics of hand-to-hand combat: primarily simple punches, kicks, and blocks. By 10 o'clock, both Draco and Hermione were drenched with sweat and exhausted. "We will end here tonight. I will see you here at 8 o'clock on Monday. I do not want to hear a word about these lessons outside of this room or in a private letter. If you really need to contact me, Copernicus spends his days in the Owlry. He will know where I am. Now, Hermy, there is a passageway from this hallway to the Library. I want you to use that to get here, so you don't need to lie about going to the library. Draco, I will walk you back to the Slytherin common room."

"Okay, should I leave first then?" Hermione questioned.

With a nod, Severity sent Hermione on her way. She then took her wand, running it from head to toe. Draco watched as Severity once again became Severus. _The difference between the two guises is amazing. Severity is so pretty, and Professor Snape is so…not pretty._ Draco chuckled to himself and then followed the Professor Snape down to the Snake Pit. _At least I have something to look forward to every week. I want it to be Monday again!_ With that final thought, she went up to his dormitory and went to sleep.

* * * * *

**The Week before Halloween**

As Halloween approached, Hermione was still struggling to get close to Harry. It seemed as though her bookworm persona seemed to aggravate him and his friend Ron. She realized that she couldn't just stop being a bookworm, but it was really getting in the way of her assignment. She needed another idea, and she needed it soon.

One Thursday night, Hermione asked for more help. "Sev, Drake, do you guys have any ideas? I'm totally stumped. I just can't think of any other ways to get to Harry."

"Chill Hermy, maybe you can pretend to like him. Try to get him to ask you out or something."

"Drake, that is a terrible idea. What if he were to break up with her? Then she would not be able to protect him," scolded Severity.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"I have a theory. I think Quirrell is helping Voldemort to come back. There is something very valuable buried deep within Hogwarts, and I believe that Quirrell will try to steal it on Halloween. He will probably attempt to distract the school so that he can get to it unhindered. What if you were to 'accidentally' get in the line of fire, so to speak. Potter's hero-complex would not let you handle it by yourself. If you were to get out of a dangerous situation, then maybe you will bond. I will send you a note with Copernicus if I find anything out."

"Do you really think that it will help?" asked Hermione.

"I think it is worth a shot. Okay, it's getting late. Both of you need to head to your common rooms, and I need to ugly myself up for the evening." With a laugh, they all left and went their own ways.

As she lay in bed, Hermione was thinking about the Potter Plan, as she had fondly named it. _I might actually be able to pull this off. I just have to be in the right place at the right time. I need to figure out a plan that will get me near Quirrell's distraction. Hopefully Sev will figure out what Quirrell is planning._

* * * * *

**Halloween**

Halloween morning had arrived, and Hermione let out a sigh of relief because she held a note from Severity in her hands. He had finally figured out what Quirrell was planning.

Hermy,

I figured out what is happening on Halloween. Quintus will be going as a troll. I know, it's kind of lame, but I couldn't change his mind. Enjoy your feast and good luck with all of your work.

Can't wait to see you,

Sarah

Copernicus had already left, but Hermione didn't even notice. _Quirrell is letting a troll into Hogwarts. How am I going to find it, let alone get Harry to find me?_ But her answer came sooner than she had planned.

The First Year Charms class was working on levitation charms. Hermione was paired with Harry's best friend Ron, and she was trying to help him with his pronunciation. As they walked out of the class, Ron leaned over to Harry, and called her crazy. _This is the perfect time. I can storm away, and therefore have a reason to be in a random place later today. If they feel like they caused it, maybe they will chase after me later._ With that, she stormed past them, pretending to cry. She then took off for the girl's bathroom and stayed there for the rest of the day. Throughout the day, Lavender and Parvati had frequented the bathroom, and Hermione was sure that they would tell the Gryffindors that she was crying in the bathroom.

Around 6 o'clock, Hermione exited the bathroom to look for the troll. She assumed he would let it in at ground level, so she began in the dungeon. She would have to get it back to her bathroom, otherwise Harry and Ron would not be able to find her. Hermione turned the corner and found herself face to face with a full grown troll. It was looking in the other direction, so she tried to get its attention by jumping up and down and yelling. When that didn't work, she decided to send a spell in the troll's direction.

The troll spun, slightly confused, and then charged her. Hermione took off at a dead sprint, thankful for the last six years of athletic training. Every so often she had to stop and let the troll catch up. As she was nearing the bathroom, she heard fearful shouting coming from the Great Hall. _Good, Harry should be on his way. I only have to distract him for a few more minutes._ She entered the bathroom and closed herself in the stall. She needed it to look like she was frightened of the troll. Just as she locked the door, she heard Harry and Ron enter the bathroom.

"Hermione! Are you okay?"

Hermione screamed in response. "We have to help her. Try to distract the Troll, Ron!"

Ron began throwing debris at the troll, pulling the trolls attention to himself. "Now what do I do?"

"Use the charm. Wingardium Leviosa," shouted Hermione from the stall.

Ron did exactly that, as Harry jumped on the trolls back. They managed to knock the troll out with its own club. The troll slowly stumbled and fell to the ground with a resounding thud, just as Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell came running into the bathroom.

Hermione told them the truth: she had tried to find the troll, and Harry and Ron had saved her. She lost house points, but she had just earned the trust of the Boy-Who-Lived and his sidekick. She had finally reached her goal. She was now in a position to protect Harry Potter.

* * * * *

**Christmas Break**

The rest of the term progressed much faster for Hermione now that she had friends. She was able to hang out like a regular kid instead of pretending to study, like she used to. In fact, she was sad that she was leaving Hogwarts for the Winter Break. She was curious about Nicholas Flamel, but she knew that she had to go to the Academy, and therefore could not stay at Hogwarts. With a sad good bye, she got on the train, secretly met Draco in a hidden compartment, and unbeknownst to anyone else on the train, used a portkey to get to the Academy.

Remus was waiting for them in the lobby of the Academy, with a big grin on his face. He hadn't shaved in a while, so his chin was stubbly. Something that Draco didn't hesitate to comment on. "Looking a little scruffy there, Remus. Is it really that close to the full moon? Are you changing already?"

"Ah, Draco. Always good to be insulted right near Christmas," Remus said with a chuckle. "I've missed you two. And no, it is not close to the full moon, nor am I changing early. I just haven't shaved for a while."

"Is Severity here yet? Or did she get caught up at Hogwarts?" Hermione questioned.

"She should be here within the hour. In the mean time, why don't you guys go get settled in. We will just be catching up for tonight. In the morning we will see how well you have done with your hand-to-hand combat techniques."

"Okay, let us know when Sev gets here. We will see you in a bit."

Draco looked at Hermione…Hermione looked at Draco, and then they took off up the staircase.

"Last one there is a toadstool!" shouted Draco as they raced to their suite.

Once Severity arrived, she and Remus joined their students in their rooms to take tea and to discuss the past term. They talked for hours, went on tangents and overall had a great time. At some point during their conversation, they split into pairs, Draco and Remus were discussing Quiddich, while Hermione and Severity were talking about books that they had read. Time had flown while the group talked, and before any of them realized, it was time to get to bed.

The next morning, Draco and Hermione rushed to breakfast. They were excited to show Remus their progress over the last term. After they ate, the stepped into their training room to see dummies set up in three stations. It was obvious to the students that this was a test more than anything else.

The first station had a blue dummy. It was set up near a wrestling mat. Draco stepped forward first and the dummy mirrored him, stepping onto the mat as well. Remus was standing by, and announced the beginning of the match. Draco and the dummy clashed in the center of the ring, each vying for dominance. The dummy got the upper hand first, but Draco was able to slip out of the hold using an evasive move that Severity had taught him. He then easily pinned the dummy to the mat. "One…two…three," counted Remus, "Well done Drake." Then the match was over. The dummy returned to its original position at the edge of the mat.

Hermione stepped up, just as Draco had. She struggled a little harder in the beginning, since the dummy was much larger than she was. Instead of trying to overpower the dummy, she used her size and agility to bring it to the ground. It only took her a few seconds more than Draco to take down the dummy.

Remus was very impressed by both Hermione and Draco. "Move on to the next station. Severity is standing by to explain the next drill."

They walked over to Severity while Remus vanished the first station. Hermione and Draco were happy that they both did so well on the first test, but both were trying to prepare for the next task at hand. Severity was standing next to another dummy, which was standing in a boxing ring. It had sparring gloves on. "Your goal for this task is to get over ten hits before the dummy gets five. This will test your reflexes and blocking skills. There are gloves for you here."

Hermione stepped up first this time. Severity helped her lace up the gloves and then she climbed in the ring. Severity rang a bell, and the dummy began to move. Hermione began to circle the dummy, keeping her feet moving at all times. The dummy jabbed a few times, which Hermione quickly blocked. She used a combination, which earned her a hit. The dummy countered with a combination, which Hermione easily dodged. The match continued; Hermione dodged combinations and connected frequently. She beat the dummy eleven hits to one.

Draco already had his gloves on as he got in the ring. He and Hermione touched gloves, as a sign of mutual respect, as they passed each other. Draco struggled a little bit at first, but once he got a rhythm down, he scored hit after hit. He eventually beat the dummy eleven hits to three hits. Both Draco and Hermione were aching from the amount of effort they were putting forth for this test. They were able to get a drink of water before their last test. While they could see the next dummy, they could not tell what the task would be.

After their fifteen minute break, they walked towards the final dummy. Both Severity and Remus were standing by it with smirks on their faces. Unsettled by the smirks, Draco and Hermione stopped in front of their mentors. Remus began explaining their task.

"In this test, you will be facing something that you have not done in practice yet. Severity and I would like to know how you react under pressure in unknown situations."

"Therefore, Remus and I will not be telling you what the dummy will do. You two will have to work together to face whatever happens. You will probably want your wands for this task. But …you are not allowed to set the dummy on fire, Hermione. You are not to use your wands for anything but defense," finished Severity.

"When I say go, the dummy will begin. Three…two…one…GO!"

The dummy began to move towards the pair, slowly raising its right arm, revealing a wand. Hermione immediately began moving, while Draco put up a minor shield between them and the dummy. The dummy began to shoot charms and curses at the two eleven year olds. Once the shield broke, Draco and Hermione were forced to run, jump, and roll out of the way of the curses and charms being sent their way. Severity and Remus timed their test to see how long the students could outlast the dummy. Sixteen minutes and twenty three-seconds into the drill, Draco lost his footing after a roll and was unable to dodge a Stupefy from the dummy. It instantly stopped moving and Hermione removed the curse. She helped him up and then realized that Severity and Remus were clapping.

"Well done guys. You lasted longer than Severity and I did when we took this test. We only lasted fourteen minutes and fifty-two seconds. You guys lasted a full sixteen minutes and twenty-three seconds. I am very proud of you," Remus stated.

"I agree. You did a phenomenal job. You went to great efforts to protect each other and not just yourselves. You have finally begun to work like a true team. We are so proud of you both."

After their grueling exam, Draco and Hermione were given two days to recuperate and relax. On the third day, training resumed as usual, as well as nightly meetings with their mentors. They enjoyed their holiday, which seemed to end incredibly quickly. The only up side to the end of winter holiday is that Hermione was going to get to see Harry and Ron again. Hermione and Draco took a portkey to Kings Cross Station, where they then boarded the Hogwarts Express.

Draco found Crabbe and Goyle on the train and sat in silence for the entire ride. _I hate having to be mean to Hermy. I wish we could be friends at Hogwarts too._ Little did he know that Hermione was thinking the same thing.

* * * * *


	5. Hogwarts Express, take two

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay for this chapter. I have had a bit of writer's block and was finishing my senior year of college. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. Please Read and Review!

Wulfric

**The Academy- July before Draco and Hermione's Seventh Year **

Since their first year, Hermione and Draco had progressed phenomenally within both the Academy and Hogwarts. They children…soon to be adults had surprised their mentors with how much they had grown since they had met them. A lot had changed over the course of five years. Hermione had become one of the 'golden trio,' while Draco had become Harry's sworn enemy. They had very obviously completed their first tasks and had done a few minor tasks while at Hogwarts. Hermione was still on her mission to protect the Boy-Who-Lived; a task that had become second nature to her. She still missed her time with Draco during the school term, but they understood the demands on them much more now that they were headed into their final year at Hogwarts.

Hermione and Draco had just headed up to their suite while Severity and Remus settled down for a night cap. Severity spoke first: "this semester is going to be much different than those of the past. First of all, Voldemort is stronger than ever and that Potter boy is not ready to fight him. In a fight with Voldemort, Potter will die; you know that, don't you Remus?"

"Sev, I will be at Hogwarts again this year. I can start to work with him on his fighting skills. He did gain some skills with that 'Dumbledore's Army' thing. He is not as unprepared as you believe him to be."

"I know he has progressed, but he is still not ready. Even with Hermione protecting him, he doesn't have the power to kill Voldemort."

"I will work with him. But that means I will not be available to help Hermy and Drake with their Animagus forms. That will be your responsibility once we get to Hogwarts. Do you think they know that we are starting their Animagus training tomorrow?"

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure Hermy would not be able to sleep tonight if she knew," Severity said with a chuckle. "Do you have any idea what forms they will take? You said you always knew what my form would be."

"I'm not really sure what they will be. They are both fierce fighters and loyal as a dog. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn into large Carnivores, like you. For some reason I feel as though Drake will be a wolverine. I know it's not that big, but they are ferocious fighters. I've never seen one lose a fight. Hermione, on the other hand, is a complete mystery to me."

"I agree about both of their personalities, and therefore I agree with your guess about Drake. I would like to think that Hermione is a cat like me, but I fear she might be too much of a bookworm for that. I'm not sure she is aggressive enough for a feline form, but only time will tell, as they say." Severity took a long swig of her firewhisky and then stood to get a refill. "Remus, how long do you think it will take them to get their transformation down? It took me almost a year. I think they can get it by Christmas. That is my hope, anyway."

Remus looked into the blazing fire for a moment before answering. "You finished your transformation very quickly. Minerva said that it took her a full two years to get her ears right. I think setting them a goal of Christmas mould be pushing them too much. I think we should just wait and see, though. They may surprise both of us."

**The Following Morning**

Hermione and Draco, as was habit, woke up around 7:00am. They dressed and made their way to breakfast. "Hey Drake; do you have any idea what we are starting today? I feel like we have covered everything we could in the last few years."

"I'm not really sure, Hermy; I'm hoping it will be something challenging."

As he spoke, they entered the kitchen, waved to Polly, and took a seat at the table. It took them both a few seconds before they noticed something dark sitting in the corner of the room. Once they took notice, they both instantly jumped into fighter's stances, wands in hand. The shadowy figure slowly stepped into the light as revealed itself to be a gorgeous Black Panther.

Neither of them lowered their wands, but Hermione quickly assessed the situation in a whisper. "Drake, it's a Panther. Do you think this is a test? Polly doesn't seem fazed, which leads me to believe that we have finally seen Sev's Animagus form."

As she spoke, the panther moved forward, transforming into the sleek beauty that was Severity. "Right in one, Hermy; this is a test. It is also my way of revealing my form to you. Today, after you eat breakfast, we will begin your Animagus training. The first stage is strictly theory. You will begin the actual transformation stage when you return to Hogwarts. Now… eat." With this, she removed herself from the room and went to sit with Remus near the fire.

"They looked completely shocked, Remus. They might even be speechless…or not," Severity said with a smile. As she had spoken, she and Remus heard boisterous voices coming from the kitchen. "I guess they got over their shock."

For the rest of the summer, Hermione and Draco spent their time in the library learning about the theory and process of transforming into their Animagus forms. They were both frustrated with the fact that they were not allowed to even try to transform yet, but they followed their instructions from Severity to stick to the books. By the time they were preparing to return to Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco were dying to start transforming. Severity had promised them they could start the Monday after they arrived and both students were counting down the hours.

**Hogwarts Express- Seventh Year**

When the time came, Hermione and Draco followed their yearly ritual of taking a portkey to the train station to board the Hogwarts Express. They gave each other a huge hug and parted ways; Draco getting onto the front of the train, and Hermione onto the rear.

Draco quickly nabbed his usual compartment, after kicking a few wayward first years out of it, and settled in to wait for Crabbe and Goyle. He knew they would be along soon, blaming their tardiness on them picking on unsuspecting lower classmen. As he waited for his body guards, the door to his compartment opened, and in sauntered Pansy Parkinson.

"Hi Draco, can I sit with you?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. She did not try to hide her roaming eyes or her obvious fascination of the blond man in front of her.

Sighing inwardly, Draco gave a fake smile and gestured to the seat across from him. "Please do," he said, "I was getting lonely." While he detested the pig-faced girl, his primary assignment for the year was getting close to the children of known death-eaters. He was to infiltrate Voldemort's younger ranks to accrue information on his movements. As Pansy sat down, the door slid open again to reveal two burly seventh years that put the entire compartment in shadow. They slowly moved into the compartment and sat down, barely fitting in the small compartment. "Good to see you boys. How were your summers?" Draco asked politely. They both grunted in reply and Draco wondered if he was going to make it the rest of the ride with just the two stupid oafs and the pig-faced girl.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the train, Hermione had entered a compartment. Her usual compartment was taken by a few third-years and she did not want to disturb their game of exploding snaps to ask them to relocate. She was getting Crookshanks settled when the door slid open and a tall, muscular seventh year stepped into the compartment. "Hello Hermione. Did you have a nice Holiday?"

**The new and improved Neville Longbottom**

"NEVILLE!" Hermione exclaimed with great joy. Neville looked startled for a moment due to the fact that soon after this shout, a frizzy-headed body had collided with his own, grabbing him in a fierce bear hug. "I missed you Neville. I did enjoy my holiday. Thank you for asking. What did you do for the summer? I bet you spent a lot of time in your gardens, didn't you? How is your Gran?" Hermione's questions ran on for a few more minutes, in which time Neville settled himself on the seat next to her. While they waited for Harry and Ron, they discussed their summer Holidays.

Since his encounter with Bellatrix Lestrange in fifth year, Neville had gone through something akin to a self-discovery. Hermione had discussed this change in Neville with Severity and they had come to the joint conclusion that Neville sought to avenge his parents' insanity. He wanted to make Bellatrix suffer and therefore he revolutionized himself. Of course, Dumbledore's Army helped him learn the basic self defense spells, but those lessons only helped him to break the ice into a whole new Neville Longbottom.

He left Hogwarts after fifth year as a chubby, awkward, fearful boy. He returned at the beginning of sixth year as a muscular, handsome, self-assured man with whom not many would dare to fight. Although his wand work was still a little shaky, Neville had found a way to boost his self-esteem: he worked in his Gran's garden. After three months of intense cultivation, Neville had developed rock hard muscles and a good tan. This change did not go unnoticed, and he found himself to be the object of his fellow students' interests. Male and female students alike were eyeing Neville in a new light, both as a new prospect and as a rival.

His new self-confidence seemed to help him with his classes as well. Over the course of sixth year, Neville became adept at transfiguration and charms on top of his Herbology skills. He still struggled in Potions, but it was no longer due to his fear of Professor Snape. He had really improved himself and continued to do so throughout the school year. Through his drive for revenge, Neville found kindred spirits in the Golden-Trio. Hermione was more than happy to help Neville improve, and Ron and Harry enjoyed Neville's company when Hermione was on her homework kicks. He also helped Harry, Ron and Hermione run the DA meetings, which had continued into their sixth year. With any luck, they would be continuing throughout seventh year as well.

Just before the train left the station, Harry and Ron stepped into the compartment. There were hugs all around and then they settled down for the long ride to Hogwarts. Throughout the ride, they played a few rounds of exploding snaps, briefly discussed the upcoming year, and then they began planning out the DA schedule for the year. Harry (who had grown progressively more withdrawn after the death of Sirius) sat pensively by the window. It looked as if he were merely watching the scenery as it passed, but his friends all knew that he was not seeing anything past his own thoughts.

"Harry…Harry…HARRY!"

"Huh… What, Ron? Why are you yelling at me?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. Neville brought up an interesting idea for some of our DA meetings, and we wanted to run the idea past you."

"Oh, well go ahead, then, Neville. What are you thinking?"

Neville paused for a moment, and then began: "Well, you know how we covered mostly disarming opponents and different forms of shields, like the Patronus Charm and stuff like that? Well I was thinking we could focus more on things that would incapacitate the Death Eaters without killing them. When we finally meet Voldemort on the battle field, we are going to need more than some stunning spells and disarming spells to stop the Death Eaters. I heard about some charms that put people to sleep for a day and can only be broken by the person that inflicts it. I think these spells would be ideal for the first month or so of school. What do you think? Hermione agrees with me, but Ron thinks we should work on curses and counter curses some more."

"That sounds like a good plan Neville. And Ron, before you interrupt me, we can always do both the sleeping spells and the curses and counter curses. We have an entire year to fill, and we all know that our group learns way to fast to only have one or two lessons planned. We will probably have a few new faces in the DA this year, as I'm sure the younger years are going to want to be more proactive in the fight against Voldemort. Maybe we can set up a buddy system for the new ranks to get them caught up and then we can move into the other segments.

I was also thinking about starting a long project with the group."

Hermione was the first to respond: "What are you thinking about Harry? What kind of long project could we do?"

Before Harry could respond, Ron had begun to speak: "Wait a minute Harry. Are you talking about what I think you're talking about? You know we would not have anywhere near enough time for that, which means that we would be sending the DA home over the summer to practice without any supervision. Plus, you can't even do it yourself. Who is going to teach them if none of us can do it either?"

Hermione and Neville shared a glance of understanding. "You're thinking about trying to teach the DA to become Animagi? That could be really dangerous, Harry. Even if we did find someone to teach us, we would never have enough time to teach the DA. And on top of that, not everyone has the ability to become an Animagus. You know that. How would we be able to tell that they have the capacity to transform into an animal?" Neville had asked all of the questions that were running through Hermione's head. _I may be able to teach them all the theory behind Animagi, but then they might ask me how I know. I don't think 'from a book' would be completely believable in this case. If we decide to go through with this training, I'm going to have to talk to Sev._

"Well, I have come up with solutions to a few of those questions. Dumbledore has informed me that he believes the battle is close at hand. He is almost positive that Voldemort is going to attack around the Halloween after my next birthday. He wouldn't tell me how he knew, just that his source was reliable. He will be inviting the students that are of age and willing to fight to stay at Hogwarts over the summer to train. This would give us a few more months with the DA to hone their Animagi skills.

As for the teaching part, I was kind of hoping that Hermione could do some research. Maybe there are books in the Library about it. If not, we can always talk to Dumbledore. He seemed willing to help the DA after the fiasco in fifth year. I'm also hoping that Dumbledore knows of a text that we could use to see if the members of the DA are actually capable of becoming Animagi. Do you guys think it sounds plausible? Or should we start thinking of other things to work on?"

"I think we should check into all of this information as soon as possible. We can still start with the buddy system and then curses and counter curses first. If we find that we will be able to pull it off, then we can start as soon as possible. If not, it gives us more time to think of other lessons to teach," Ron stated.

"Well said, Ron. That was going to be my suggestion as well," Hermione said, while Neville nodded pensively.

Neville glanced out the window quickly: _Wow, it had gotten dark out. We must be getting close._ He pointed this fact out to his compartment mates and they all changed into their robes. The train came to a stop soon after the seventh years had changed, and they boarded the thestral-drawn carriages. They were all hungry and excited to start their final school year at Hogwarts.


	6. The Sorting Ceremony

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Author's Note: Thank you all for your positive reviews. The Romance portion of the story should be beginning in the next few chapters. Happy Reading!

Wulfric

**The Sorting Ceremony**

Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione arrived in the Great Hall just as Professor Snape was entering from the teacher's entrance. Hermione glanced at the surly figure and saw that he looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in weeks. _Where is Drake? I wonder if he has noticed how drawn Sev looks, even the disguise looks worn. I will have to send him an owl tonight to see if he noticed anything._

They four Gryffindors walked to their normal seats at their long house table and waited for the ceremony to begin. As they waited, they watched all of the other second through seventh years fill into their respective tables. "Is it just my imagination, or does the Slytherin table look sparse?" Hermione questioned.

Ron, who had yet to look at the Slytherin table, took a long gander in its general direction. He leaned towards the middle of the table, indicating to the others that they should do the same. "You're right, Hermione. They are missing a number of people. By the looks of it, they are mostly seventh-years: Millicent Bulstrode is gone, for one. Do you think those that are gone have joined _Him_?" Ron spoke in a hoarse whisper so that he did not upset anyone that may have been eavesdropping.

As they separated, the first years were marched into the room, which indicated the beginning of the sorting. The sorting hat was placed on the stool and it sang to the unity of all houses against a common evil. There wasn't a student or faculty member in the room that was in question about to whom the 'common evil' was referring. All of the students looked around at each other; some of them glanced towards the Slytherins with hesitation. As if to defuse the commotion before it occurred, Professor McGonagall began calling the names of the first years to be sorted.

Once every one was seated at their tables, Dumbledore stood from his elaborate chair and began to speak: "I have two announcements before we begin the glorious feast that the house elves have prepared. Firstly, Professor Remus Lupin has returned to our school to fill the Defense against Dark Arts position once again." Dumbledore paused while the students cheered and hooted for their new professor. After a few minutes, Dumbledore held up his hand for quiet and then he continued. "On a more sobering note, I would like to talk about the entity that has plagued our minds for many years. As you all know, Voldemort is at large. I see that many of you cringed when I said his name, but I want to explain something to all of you. Voldemort has done _terrible_ things, as many of you have experienced firsthand. He has destroyed our homes, our sense of security, and most importantly…he has endangered our loved ones; however, fear of his name will not protect you from his wrath. Nor will it protect those that you love. The only thing that fear does is to make you feel more uneasy.

"This year will be full of trials for all of us, myself included. We need to learn to work together, no matter what age, gender, or house. I want you all to be able to trust each other, to rely on each other if need be. Therefore, I am initiating a new policy at Hogwarts this year. Beginning tomorrow, we will not be eating at these five tables, faculty included. Tomorrow, we will be eating at round tables. Every day, you will sit with different people from different house and from different years. A list will be generated every morning to tell you where to sit. This will hopefully initiate inter-house relationships and allow for us to trust one another.

"I can see that you are all anxious to eat as well as to discuss the new seating arrangements, so I will leave you with this last thought: we must unite against Voldemort if we want to live happily for the rest of our lives. TUCK IN!" With this final statement, mounds of food arrived on the tables. Soon everyone was eating and discussing their new eating situation. Only two people seemed reserved about the turn of events: Harry Potter and Professor Snape.

**Slytherin Common Room- 8:00pm**

"Can you believe this rot about house relationships? If I have to eat lunch with Gryffindors, I'll be eating in the kitchen. I won't spoil my lunch with a bunch of mudblood-loving fools!" Draco exclaimed as he marched into the common room, Crabbe and Goyle following in his wake. "Damn, we have to get ready for Snape's yearly speech to the first-years. We will talk about this later."

Draco walked over to Blaise Zabini and together they confronted the first-years. "Line up over here. When Professor Snape enters, you are to stand tall, facing him, and you are to be silent. If he speaks to you, you will address him as sir or Professor Snape. He will explain more about our house. If you do not listen, you will be incredibly unhappy, we assure you," Blaise said frankly.

One of the small first-years whimpered, and then softly asked: "You mean he will punish us if he doesn't like the way we greet him?"

"No, but the seventh-years will have something to say about it. There is no one in this school whom we respect more than Professor Snape, and that includes Dumbledore. He will always be there for you if you need him. We look out for our own," Draco explained. Draco took his responsibilities to his house seriously, especially if it meant protecting the younger students and his head of house.

With their final words, the head of Slytherin entered the common room. He acknowledged his seventh-years who nodded in response, leaving the common room to Professor Snape and the first-years. "Welcome to the honorable house of Slytherin. The majority of the next seven years will be spent with the people around you; you will sleep, go to classes, study, and relax with the people standing with you. These people will become your family; families stick together. Therefore, there will be absolutely no bullying of any kind, no teasing, and definitely no disrespect to your peers or your elders, including myself. If you need anything, your upper classmen will make themselves available to you and my office door is always open. If you cannot locate me, contact Draco, the blond boy who spoke to you earlier. He will be able to assist you as needed.

"I hope that you can find the Slytherin house to be accepting and as close to a family as you can have away from home. I know that some of you do not have the best home-lives, in which case, I hope that Slytherin can help you to understand what a real family looks like. Welcome to Slytherin." With that, Professor Snape left the common room for his office. Using his patronus, which took the form of a wolf, he sent a message to the seventh-year students to go comfort the first-years. He then retreated to his personal chambers and took off the disguise.

Severity then stepped into her bathroom and gazed at herself in the mirror. These last few years were really taking a toll on her physically. She had been going to Voldemort's side, as Severus, once a week since he had returned to power. Saying it was a taxing job would be a severe understatement. She had been able to stay out of the line of Voldemort's wrath for the most part, but occasionally she got tortured as well. Torture usually occurred when she was unable to provide information that Voldemort deemed important. "I need a drink," she said to herself, "maybe Remus would like a night cap. Polly!"

**POP** "What is Mistress Sev needing Polly to do?"

Severity quickly scribbled a note to Remus and said: "Polly, if you would be so kind, I would like you to take this note to Remus. If he has company, wait for them to leave before delivering the letter. I would also like you to look in on Hermy and see how she is settling in. I have a feeling that Potter will be causing trouble about Dumbledore's new meal policy. She does not need to know you are there; just let me know how she is doing."

"Polly will go right away."

"Thank you Polly," Severity said as the house elf popped out. "Now, I just have to wait for Remus to show up."

**The Gryffindor Common Room- 8:00pm**

"Can you believe this rot about house relationships? If I have to eat lunch with Slytherins, I'll be eating in the kitchen. I won't spoil my lunch with a bunch of death eaters in training!" Harry had been ranting about Dumbledore's new policy since they had gotten out of the Great Hall. It didn't help that the password for the common room was 'Unity for All.' Having to say those words sent Harry off for another bout of yelling. His temper had not improved, and if anything, his prejudices against Slytherins, especially Malfoy and Snape, had increased exponentially over the last few years.

"Harry, what are you getting upset about? If we can find out how others feel about Voldemort, then we can ascertain a way to fight him." Ron's reasoning did not seem to be getting through to Harry. In fact, it seemed to anger the emerald-eyed boy even more.

"You are not going to be fighting Voldemort, Ron! I will be. Only I can defeat him. Getting help from others will do nothing, because I am the only person who can fight him." Harry's voice began to waver as he finished, as if he was afraid of what he was saying.

"Harry, we know that you will be fighting Voldemort, but you will not do it without Ron, Hermione and I standing at your side. Do you plan to fight Voldemort and all of his death-eaters by yourself? We will need all the help we can get, because Merlin knows that Voldemort is recruiting too. Plus, he has many incredibly strong witches and wizards on his side, or do I need to remind you about Bellatrix Lestrange, Avery and that crazy Greyback guy. You will need us; you will need all of us."

"Neville is right Harry; you need to stop these prejudices against Slytherin. It will not kill you to eat lunch with them. They can't all be bad," Hermione said.

"Neville might be right, but I still will never trust a Slytherin. They are all bad news, Hermione. Trust me."

Ron spoke first in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Okay, Harry. All we are saying is that you need to relax about this meal thing. Dumbledore knows what he is doing. If he says that it will help to eat together, than I believe that it will help. I understand that you do not trust the Slytherins, but you can trust Dumbledore, and you know it."

"I do trust Dumbledore; although, I don't always agree with him. I mean look at Snape. There is no way that man is anything but evil."

Hermione took a few seconds to breathe before responding; knowing that yelling at him would make him withdraw even more. "Harry…how many times do we need to go over this? Snape is NOT evil. He is working for Dumbledore. He is an undercover agent for the Order of the Phoenix. I will not have this conversation with you again. I do not know how else to convince you; so either accept it or don't talk to me about it because I trust both he and Dumbledore."

Harry, Ron, and Neville watched Hermione storm up to her room and then heard her door slam shut. "Damn, Harry, I haven't seen her that angry in a long time. She's bloody scary when she is like that. Remind me never to get on her bad side."

Ron chuckled for a moment and then said to Neville: "You have a lot to learn about Hermione, Nev. Hermione was nowhere near angry. Pissed…yes. Angry…not even close. The day she is angry will be the day everyone needs to run for cover. She is one powerful witch and I never want to be on the business end of her wand."

Neville and Ron had a good laugh at the image of Hermione kicking the crap out of someone other than themselves. Meanwhile, Harry was gazing out the window again, lost in thought. _I really didn't mean to piss her off, but I still don't trust him. He hasn't done anything to prove himself to me, except for maybe that time he helped to save my life. But that was probably on the order of Voldemort, to gain my trust. Hermione must be wrong about him, she just has to be._

Harry stayed deep in thought long enough for Ron and Neville to finish an entire game of exploding snaps. Once the game was over, they headed up to their room to get some sleep before their classes the next morning.

**Head of Slytherin's Personal Quarters- 9:30PM**

Severity was lounging in an over-stuffed arm chair in front of the fireplace when the flames turned green. Someone was flooing into her sitting room, and she wasn't disguised. She quickly moved into the bathroom, where she put her glamour in place. Just as she had finished changing her hair, she heard a faint voice saying his name. "Sev...Sev, are you here?"

"Remus, you scared me. Let me take my glamour off and then I will join you. Help yourself to some firewhisky if you would like to. I'll be there in a second."

Remus grabbed a glass and filled it with the amber liquid sitting beside Sev's chair. It was unusual for her to want to talk like this, especially during the school term. _I wonder if something is wrong. She seemed tired at dinner, but that usually doesn't bother her. Hopefully she will actually tell me what's wrong instead of talking about the weather, or some other trivial matter. Ah, here she comes._

"So, what's going on, Sev? Is something wrong? You never invite me over for a drink like this."

"Nothing is wrong; I just wanted to see you. Should I not want to see you?" As she said this, she rubbed her left arm as if it was aching.

"You're lying. I can tell, because you always rub your arm when you lie. Tell me what is bothering you. I can't help if you don't tell me."

Severity stood and began pacing in front of the fire. "I noticed something today…something I promised myself would never happen. It is not something I am proud of, nor is it something on which I will act, but it IS something that I should tell you about. I think I…"

**POP**

Severity was interrupted as Polly popped into the room. "I's got what you wanted Mistress Sev. I got Master Remus for you, and I checked on Miss Hermy. She got into a fight with Potter, Mistress; but Weezy and the other boy stood up for her. Mean Potter insulted Mistress and little Miss got upset. She was writing to Little Sir when I left her."

"Good. Drake should be able to help Hermy calm down a bit. Hopefully she is not too upset. That stupid boy will never trust me. Thank you, Polly. You can go now. I will call you if I need anything."

**POP**

"Sev, why did you ask Polly to check on Hermy? You and I both know that she can handle Harry."

"It has to do with what I was saying before. I think I might be… Damn this is hard to say…I think I might be…attracted…to…her. FUCK! This is not good. What am I going to do? Remus, this can't happen."

"Take a deep breath, Sev. This is not that big of a deal. You are over reacting because you didn't want it to happen. It just means you can't act on it until after she graduates from the academy. Once she is done with her Animagus training, she will be one step away from graduating. You can make it a year before acting on it, can't you?"

"I don't want to act on it. I want the feelings to stop. This can't happen again. Last time nearly killed me. What do I do if the same thing happens?"

"Slow down, Sev. Lily and Hermy are two very different people. First of all, Lily was meant for James, and you know it…deep down in your heart, you know that you could have never been with her. Secondly, Lily's death was not your fault. You were not in Voldemort's inner circle at that point. Don't you remember? He was angry with you for not bringing Dumbledore to him. He never would have told you about his plan. So stop comparing Hermione to Lily. They are two incredibly different people.

"Now, take another deep breath and explain to me what induced this panic within you?"

Severity had stopped pacing, but was now glaring into the fire. "I don't know. I walked into the great hall for the sorting ceremony and I saw that Hermione was walking in with Potter, Weasley, and Longbottom. She had her arm in Longbottom's and she was joking with them. I just all of a sudden wanted to be there with her: listening to her laugh, being touched by her…this is ridiculous. I need to talk to Dumbledore. I need to be removed as her mentor. I'm going to have Polly go get him…POLLY!"

**POP** "What is you needing, Mistress Sev?"

"Severity, stop this foolishness at once. You know that Albus will not remove you from your position, no matter what the circumstances." Remus then turned to Polly. "Could you please bring us a pot of tea and a Sober-up potion from Sev's store room? Thank you."

**POP**

"I don't need a Sober-up potion. I'm just fine."

You obviously are not. If the empty bottle by the fireplace and the half-empty bottle near your chair are any indication, I would say you have had more than your fair share of firewhisky. Plus, I know that you put a sedative in your Sober-up potions, which will help calm you down."

**POP** "Here I is, Master Remus. I gots the potion and the tea for you. Will yous be needing anything else?"

Remus answered before Severity had a chance to. "That will be all Polly. You can go ahead and get some sleep. Good night."

"Good night mistress and master." **POP**

"Drink it Sev."

"No, I don't need it."

"If you don't drink it voluntarily, I will make you drink it. Do you really want an angry wolf to jump you and force a potion down your throat?"

"…Fine. I will take the damn potion. If I do, will you get off my back, please?"

Remus chuckled. "Thank you. I will get off your back for now. But I will not let you leave your position as a mentor to the two strongest people of their generation. Now that you have taken your potion, how are you feeling?"

"Calmer…but that has to do with the calming potion that was in the Sober-up potion. I still feel like I have betrayed my position. It is not right for me to feel that way about a student. I just don't know…Remus, please; tell me what I should do."

That statement touched Remus in a way that he had not expected. He had never heard Severity sound so apprehensive. Not even when they had arrived at the Academy had she sounded so scared. "Severity, listen to me. It is okay for you to be attracted to Hermione. She is a gorgeous, brilliant, and incredibly powerful woman. It is not unusual for someone like you to be attracted to her. You just need to relax and understand that it is okay. Nothing bad will come from it, so calm down, go on with your responsibilities, and DO NOT let Voldemort figure it out."

"Well obviously I'm not going to run up to Voldemort and tell him about my crush on harry Potter's Best friend. Are you sure that _you_ haven't been drinking?" They both chuckled at that. Severity was well aware with the fact that Remus never drinks more than one glass of alcohol. It has a bad reaction with the Wolfsbane potion that Sev prepares every month for him. It would cause Remus's transformation to become more violent.

"I see you are feeling better. You are well enough to joke with me, at least. It is definitely progress. I don't know about you, but I need to go to bed. Will you be okay by yourself? Or should I have Polly look in on you throughout the night?"

"I will be fine. No need to bother Polly. Remus…I really appreciate you talking to me. You always knew how to calm me down. Have a good night, brother."

As he stepped into the fireplace to use the floo, Remus said: "You do the same Sev. Feel better. I will see you in the morning."


	7. A Meeting in the Astronomy Tower

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews. In answer to some inquires, this story will turn out to be a girl/girl story, with a spattering of romance among the peripheral characters as well. R+R please. Happy Reading!

Wulfric

**Draco's Room, 11:00pm**

Draco was in the process of changing into his pajamas when there was tap on his window. Athena, his owl, was perched outside the window waiting to be let in. Draco finished putting on his pajama top and walked towards the window. When he opened it, she flew in and landed on his shoulder, affectionately preening his hair. "What are you doing here, girl? Do you have a letter for me?"

Athena squawked which Draco took as an affirmative, and then she shook her heavy talon, in which she grasped a rolled up piece of parchment. "Thank you, would you like to stay here tonight? Or do you want to go back to the owlry?"

Draco had always spoken to his owl as if she were a person. He assumed that she had opinions and preferences, which the other Slytherins found odd. Athena seemed to have no trouble understanding, because no sooner had he finished his sentence did she hop off his shoulder and glide gracefully to her perch on the desk. "I guess you will be staying then. I will get you some treats."

He walked to his desk and pulled some treats out of the top drawer, placing them in front of Athena. He then settled at the desk and unrolled the parchment.

Hey Drake,

I figured since I was using Athena that I wouldn't bother with the code. I just wanted to talk, but since we can't, I'm stuck sending this stupid letter. Sorry, I'm just a little frustrated right now. I needed someone to whom I can vent.

I yelled at Harry for talking about Sev. He kept calling her evil and saying that he would never eat with her. I mean, I know he only sees the male persona of Sev, but it just annoyed me so much.

And now that I'm thinking about it; did you see anything different about Sev at dinner? Even her disguise looked worn down. Do you think she is struggling with Voldemort? Do you think he is torturing her? I'm worried about her.

Maybe I will go see her sometime this weekend, so I can talk to her. I miss spending time with her already and it's only been one day. Is that bad? Why do I miss it so much? I'm confused about Sev, I'm pissed about Harry, and right now I can't think of any way to fix it. Drake, I need your help. I can't do this without you.

Love,

Hermy

The letter was speckled with wet spots from where Hermione's tears had fallen. _Shit, she is really upset. I need to do something and I need to do it fast. But what can I do? I can't go see her…I can't comfort her the way I need to. We will have to figure out how to meet so we can talk. She can't go on like this. It will drive her insane._

He grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and began writing furiously.

Hermy,

Calm down, luv. I do not think Sev is in any trouble. You know that Voldemort calls 'Severus Snape' at least once a week. She is probably just exhausted. The rest of your letter needs to be discussed in person. Meet me in the astronomy tower tomorrow night at 9:30. I know you will have to make your excuses, but just tell everyone that you are going to the Library to study for your N.E.W.T.s or something. They will leave you alone for fear of you dragging them with you. We can talk about everything there.

Potter is a tool. He knows that talking about Professor Snape upsets you but he does it anyway. Ignore everything he says; that's what I do. I will see you tomorrow, okay? Hang in there. With luck we will be eating together tomorrow. Not that we will be able to say anything; we still have to maintain our cover, but we can at least be close together. Miss you sis,

Love,

Drake

Draco tied the letter to the leg of Athena and pushed her out of the window. She wasn't too keen on making another flight, but it was important. _I hope she is okay. I hate when she is upset._ With that thought, Draco settled into his bed hoping that tomorrow would be better for Hermione.

**The Great Hall the following morning-Friday**

Hermione walked in to the Great Hall followed by Harry, Neville, and Ron. Harry had apologized for upsetting her when they met in the common room, so she had forgiven him, at least in words. She was still upset with him for the things he had said, but she was determined not to let it show. There was a heard of students hovering around one wall of the Great Hall. The four Gryffindors assumed this was where the table assignments were and they pushed their way through the crowd. Hermione was sitting at table 7, Harry at table 10, Ron at 15, and Neville at 8. They split up to head for their tables, all a little hesitant to see with whom they were sitting.

Hermione sat down to find four people already seated: Professor Sinstra, a second year Ravenclaw, a fourth year Hufflepuff, and her best friend, Draco Malfoy. They glared at each other, for the sake of everyone around them, but the glare didn't reach their eyes. Hermione gave Draco a slight nod to indicate that she had received his letter and would be in the astronomy tower that evening. Hermione looked around to see how Ron, Neville, and Harry were faring with the new seating arrangements.

Ron seemed to be in a deep conversation with the Keeper of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. They were gesturing widely, so Hermione assumed they were enjoying themselves. Neville was also enjoying his seating arrangements, for he was seated with Professor Sprout and they were enjoying a conversation about herbology.

Harry on the other hand, was looking distinctly uncomfortable. He was sitting between Professor Trelawney and Luna Lovegood, who kept trying to show Harry an article in the Quibbler about Drobytoads: evil creatures that live in the underwear drawers of unsuspecting children. Although, he did seem happy that Professor Snape was seated at a table across the hall. The bell for classes tolled, and in mass, the students and professors rose from their seats and proceeded to their respective classes.

**The Astronomy Tower, 9:15pm**

Hermione's day was uneventful. She went to her classes, in which she knew all of the material, she went to lunch and spoke with Professor Sinstra about astronomy, then went to more classes. The afternoon was spent in the library, and then she made her excuses to the boys and headed to the astronomy tower. She made it most of the way before hearing anyone around her, but no sooner had she reached the base of the tower did she hear Filch coming towards her. She would never make it up the tower before Filch reached her; she only had one choice. She quickly pulled out her wand and used a spell that Severity had taught her over the previous Christmas. "**Nullus animadverto.**" **And with a swish of her wand, Hermione disappeared from sight. In her invisible state, she traveled to the top of the astronomy tower to wait for Draco. **

**She was sitting on the ledge when she heard movement behind the door that led to the stairs. "Hermy? Are you here yet?" Draco asked as he walked through the door. **

**Out of the shadows of the tower, Draco heard a faint "finite incantum" and then Hermione had appeared and thrown herself into Draco's arms. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. I was getting bored waiting for you." **

"**I had to sneak around Filch. Apparently he thinks students will be sneaking into the astronomy tower tonight. It's as if he doesn't trust us at all." He chuckled as he said this, knowing that it would make Hermione laugh. "Polly!" He called for their house elf.**

****POP** "What is you needing young sir?"**

Could you summon us two comfy chairs and then bring us some tea, please?"

"Of course, little sir." She snapped her fingers and two over-stuffed chairs materialized. She then popped out of the room, returning seconds later with a pot of tea and two cups. "Is you needing anything else from Polly?"

"No, I think we will be fine. If we need you, we will call for you. Thank you, Polly," Draco answered.

**POP** And the house elf was gone, leaving a calming silence in her wake. "So, Hermy, tell me what is really bothering you?"

With a sigh, Hermione plopped, ungracefully, into one of the chairs. She was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Honestly, I don't know. Last night, I just worked myself into a panic. Sev looked ill, Harry was being broody, and I'm getting tired of this lie. I just want to be able to spend time with my family without sneaking around. Aren't you tired of it?"

"Well, yeah, Hermy. Of course I am. I want to be able to spend time with you, Sev, and Remus more than anything. But you know we can't while Voldemort is still at large. Do I want to pretend to hate you? Absolutely not, but you know that we need to."

Hermione took a sip of her tea and sighed. "I know that. I accepted it when we were five and I will accept it now. I just don't like it. I don't understand how Sev and Remus have done this for so long…pretending to hate your best friend is like asking someone to stop breathing. It is a near impossible task."

"I know, Hermy. I know. But we only need to do it for a little longer. Another year or so and then we will be free of Voldemort forever.

"Now, tell me what is going on between you and Sev."

"What are you talking about, Drake?"

"You were panicked when she looked tired at dinner; you said in your letter that you were confused about Sev, so tell me what you are confused about."

Hermione sighed audibly and then she slowly began to speak. "I…don't know. Seeing how tired she looked just really shocked me, I guess. I think the amount of danger she is in every time she goes to Voldemort is bothering me more than anything else. I fear what could happen to her if Voldemort finds out the truth."

"We are all worried about Sev, but she knows what she is doing. This is her mission. She has been working on it since she was eleven years old. She will not get sloppy now; not when the end is so close." Draco took a long drink of his tea while covertly watching Hermione. He saw that she was gazing out the window more than she was paying attention to him. "There is something you are not telling me."

Hermione flinched with the realization that Draco had seen what she had been trying to ignore. "It's nothing, Drake."

"Bull shit. Tell me what is going on. I've been watching you; Hermy, and I'm pretty sure that I know what is wrong, but I want you to say it. You need to say it."

"There is nothing to say. I just wanted to talk to you about Severity, Drake. There is nothing else."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself? I have seen the way you look at her, Hermy. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that we are not here because you are attracted to Sev."

"I'm not attracted to Sev. Sure, I admire her, but I'm not…I can't be…attracted to her. Merlin's balls; she's our mentor, Drake."

"Yes, I know who she is, luv. But that doesn't make her any more or less than an attractive woman…except when she is a man. We both know you like the ladies…you always have. Did I ever think you would fall for Sev? No, I didn't. Is it wrong of you? No, it really is not. Just see where it goes. She won't make any advances until after you graduate from the Academy anyway, so you have time to work everything out. My suggestion is to go for it. You only live once…think about it, Hermy. You deserve each other…Goodnight, luv." With that, he rose from his seat and made his way to the door.

**Draco's Room**

Draco got back to his room without any signs of professors. He walked in and began to change into his pajamas. It wasn't until he had finished changing that he saw Severity's owl, Copernicus, sitting on Athena's perch. _Athena must have gone back to the owlry. _Copernicus hopped off of the perch and over to Draco's outstretched arm. He dropped one of the two scrolls he carried into Draco's hand and then flew off out the window. _The other one must have been for Hermy. _

Draco unraveled the parchment and saw Severity's fine hand writing. The note said:

Dear Draco,

I am writing to inform you that on Monday evening, at 8:00pm, we will be beginning your practical training to become an animagus. Please meet Remus and me in the room of requirement no later than 7:50pm so that we can be set up by 8:00. I hope you have been thinking about what form you may take.

I was very impressed with the way you handled the first-years last night. They now know that they can go to you if they ever need help. That is the first step to acquiring information from your peers. Have a nice weekend, and I will see you on Monday.

Love,

Sev

Draco reread the letter three times. _I need to keep thinking. I don't know what form my animagus will be. Maybe I will be something cool, like a hawk or a wolf. That would be cool. I want to be something that will show people that I'm not a nancy-boy; that I can take care of myself._ With these thoughts swarming through his head, Draco settled into bed and was quickly dreaming about running through the grounds of Hogwarts as a large silver wolf.

**Hermione's Room**

Hermione had stayed at the top of the astronomy tower for another hour after Draco had left. She had so many thoughts running through her head that she didn't think she would be able to sleep. She finally returned to her room around 11:30pm to find Copernicus perched on the back of her desk chair. "Hey, boy, what are you doing here?"

Copernicus held his claw out to Hermione in response. Hermione took the parchment from the handsome owl and then sat down on the edge of her bed to read it. Unbeknownst to her, it was very similar and very different than the letter Severity had sent to Draco.

Dearest Hermy,

I am writing to inform you that on Monday evening, at 8:00pm, we will be beginning your practical training to become an animagus. Please meet Remus and me in the room of requirement no later than 7:50pm so that we can be set up by 8:00. I hope you have been thinking about what form you may take.

How was your first day of classes? You were probably bored out of your mind. I was wondering if you would like to have tea with me on Sunday around 3:00, like we used to do over the summer. Maybe we can swing a library day, where we can just read together. Just send an answer back with Copernicus. Have a great weekend.

Love,

Sev

Hermione quickly jotted an answer to Severity's note and sent it with Copernicus. _What am I going to do? I said I would go to tea, but…what will I say? Oh Merlin, I'm getting nervous like a stupid school girl. This is ridiculous. Pull yourself together, Granger. It isn't even Sunday yet._ Hermione changed into her dressing gown and got into bed. Unlike Draco, she fell asleep trying to think of conversation topics for Sunday.


	8. A Disappearing Act

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Author's Note: Sorry about the wait for this chapter. I just started a new job, so I'm trying to fit everything in. I hope you are enjoying the story. R + R please! Happy reading.

Wulfric

**Sunday at 2:50pm- Potion Master's Office**

Severity was nervous. There was no other word to describe the feelings that were flooding through her. She was pacing her office waiting for Hermione to show up for their meeting, and she was murmuring to herself as she moved. "This was stupid. What are we going to talk about? I didn't think to prepare anything in advance. What if we run out of things to talk about?" She continued to pace, rambling on and on until she heard a knock at the door. She quickly put her disguise back on, in case it wasn't Hermione on the other side of the door.

Professor Severus Snape, in all of his brooding glory opened the door to his office to find Hermione. To keep up pretenses, Snape was sharp with Hermione: "Come in Miss Granger. Quickly now, I haven't got all day."

They moved into the office and closed the door. The disguise was removed and the Severity smiled at Hermione. They embraced in a friendly hug and then moved into Severity's private quarters.

"So how was your first day of classes, Hermy?"

They had moved to the sitting room, where tea and finger sandwiches were waiting for them. Hermione settled into an armchair, while Severity took a seat on the black leather sofa.

"Well, to start off the year, I got into an argument with Harry on Thursday night after Dumbledore's announcement about his new seating policy. He was angry that he might have to sit with Slytherins and…well…and you. He just aggravates me so much sometimes. I just want him to realize that not everyone is against him.

"Other than that, classes were fine. I was bored, as usual. But I guess it could have been worse. For the most part I have been thinking about our Animagus training. I cannot wait to start. I've been trying to figure out what form I will take, but there seem to be so many options, that I can't settle on just one." She took a finger sandwich from the plate and began to nibble on it while gazing into the fire.

"I'm not sure what to tell you about Potter. I think you should just try to keep your cool with him and attempt to show him the truth. I know, you can't use Draco or me for this, but I know there are good people in my house. Maybe you should attempt to reach out to them for the D.A. Everyone could use the lessons for the upcoming battle. I will talk to Draco to see if he has discovered anyone's true loyalties yet. I have high hopes for some of the seventh years; although, I can't help but wonder if we have lost a few to the Dark Lord."

With a sigh, Hermione looked at Severity with great concentration. "I think it is a good idea to spread the lessons to all of the houses…I'm just not sure how to get Harry to allow them to join us. To be honest, I think Ron and Neville would be perfectly comfortable with Slytherins, as long as I vouched for them. Harry, on the other hand, will not trust anyone's word about the Slytherins, not even his best friends. At this point, I don't think he would trust Dumbledore about it. Maybe I will bring up the idea to Ron and Neville first to test the waters. If I have their support, I might be able to convince Harry…maybe."

"That might be a good idea. Although I am loath to say it, I think Weasley and Longbottom have good heads on their shoulders. They might be able to help you tame Potter a little bit. And if I ever hear that you have repeated that to anyone, I will personally tickle you into submission," Sev said with a chuckle.

"Ha ha, very funny. But I do agree with you, they do seem to have matured in the last few years. I'm just waiting for the other students to realize that they have matured. Neither of them seems too interested in dating right now, which surprises me. Maybe they just want to wait until the end of this war."

"While I would love to discuss my student's love lives, I was wondering if we could change the subject," Severity said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What? You don't want to talk about Ron and Neville finding soul-mates? I can't imagine why not." Hermione chuckled and then went back to her tea.

"When will your next D.A. meeting be? Have you decided what you are going to teach the students?"

"Well, that was actually something I wanted to talk to you about. We haven't decided on a time yet, but Harry wants to teach the D.A. to become Animagi. He says that Dumbledore will be asking students that are willing to fight to stay at Hogwarts over the summer, so we will have more time. I'm just worried that since none of us are Animagi yet, we might get someone seriously injured."

Severity sat forward so that her elbows rested on her knees and she thought for a moment. "It definitely would not be a good idea for you to teach the D.A. but there are definite possibilities in this plan. I will need to talk to Remus and Albus, but there might be a way for someone to come in and teach you; maybe a friend of Dumbledore's, someone who is incredibly good at glamours and disguises. I will have to get back to you on that one, Hermy, but I think it is do-able."

From there, their conversation moved into other areas of interest, including Transfiguration, Charms, and, of course, Potions. Before either of them knew it, they had talked for most of the afternoon. The sky outside of the window had grown dark, and it was obvious that they were both late for dinner.

"I really enjoyed this, Hermy. Maybe we should make it a weekly event. That way we can continue to talk without causing suspicion amongst your friends."

"I would really like that, Sev. I miss our talks while at school. I will be glad to see you outside of the potions classroom and our Animagus lessons, of course." With a hug, they parted ways; Hermione headed for dinner via the Library, and Severity disguised herself and headed straight for the Great Hall. They both felt completely satisfied with the day, and the found themselves looking forward to the following Sunday.

**Monday Evening**

Draco arrived at the room of requirement precisely at 7:50pm. He was barely able to contain his excitement and was planning to be there earlier, but he could not shake Pansy Parkinson off of his arm. He finally made an excuse to need the loo and bolted out of the common room door before she realized what had happened. He had expected to meet Hermione in the corridor, but he could not find her anywhere, so he entered the room of requirement alone. As he entered, he saw an incredibly serene room. Remus and Severity were lighting candles, giving the room and almost romantic atmosphere.

"Hermione's not here yet?" Draco questioned as he entered, startling Remus, who had not noticed him yet.

"Not yet, and if she is not here soon, she will be late. In which case, she will be in big trouble. You would think she would be early for this lesson; she was practically bursting with excitement all week. I can't imagine what could keep her so long," the Werewolf stated.

**The Library-7:50**

At the exact moment that Remus spoke, Hermione was wracking her brain for a way out of her situation. At 7:00 she had made her usual excuse of N.E.W.T.s studying to the boys. She felt that would leave her ample time to get to the room of Requirement. What she didn't expect was for Harry to give her a shrewd look and insist on joining her. She very quickly found herself trapped in her own lie. Together, Hermione and Harry walked to the library and took a seat in the corner. _I have to think fast or I'm going to be late. I have never been late for an Academy lesson, and I really don't want to start now. THINK Granger, THINK!_

As if a light bulb had turned on, Hermione had a genius idea. "Harry, I'm going to go look at a book on vanishing spells for Flitwick's essay on diversionary charms. I will be back in a moment."

She walked calmly to the charms section and picked up the first book on vanishing spells she found. She discreetly sneaked her wand out of her arm holster and as she opened the book, she cast her invisibility spell and then quickly dropped the book. To anyone observing her, it would seem that the book had made her vanish, which was her intent. She stepped back and watched Harry come running towards the sound.

"Hermione, are you okay? I heard the book fall and…" He had finally turned the corner around the bookshelf and had found Hermione conspicuously missing. He glanced at the book, looked around again, and then put two and two together. "Merlin's balls! The book made her vanish." At which point, he took off out of the Library towards Dumbledore's office. Hermione slowly followed him out of the library and made her way, as quickly as possible, to the room of requirement. She walked into the room at 8:05, knowing that she was going to get reamed for her tardiness.

**The Room of Requirement**

"Hermione, dear, you need to remove the invisibility spell," Remus said kindly.

She removed the spell, but braced herself for the scolding that she knew was coming. She saw that Draco had already settled himself into one of the chairs in the center of the room; all of which looked to be the most comfortable chairs Hermione had ever seen. "I'm so sorry I was late. I was going to the Library, and then Harry followed me, and then I had to pretend to get sucked into a book, and then…"

Severity stopped her mid-sentence. "Hermy, calm down, you are rambling. Dumbledore sent word with Faux that you had an escort to the library. So let's stop with the excuses and get started. Hopefully, Drake hasn't fallen asleep in the comfy chairs that the room provided."

They moved to the remaining seats and Remus indicated that Hermione should sit across from Draco. "Today we will begin with our practical Animagus lessons. Now, you must understand that this is an incredibly slow process, and I can almost guarantee that you will find yourself frustrated by it. As you proceed, you will find that you change different parts of your body into animal parts. These transformations may or may not be in the shape of your final form. That is to say, if you change your ears into an elephant's ears, there is no guarantee that your final form with be an elephant."

Severity continued where Remus left off. "The process, for the most part, entails extreme concentration. So, for the first two or three lessons, you will be meditating. Your goal will be two-fold. Firstly, do not fall asleep in these overly comfortable chairs. Secondly, you are to concentrate on an animal form. Again, this may not be the animal that you finally transform into, but it gets your body on the right track for transforming. Now, you will meditate for an hour today, and every day before you go to sleep, we would like you to meditate for at least twenty minutes. Begin now."

For the next hour, all four Academy members sat in silence, each with their own train of thought. Remus was planning out the following week's lessons, while Severity was trying to figure out what animal forms her students would take. Draco was focusing on his ears. He felt that since they were small, they would be easiest to transform. _Fur, imagine fur. Furry, rounded ears. Soft, furry ears._ He kept repeating this over and over again as a mantra.

Hermione, on the other hand, was concentrating on her feet and hands. While Draco wanted to start with the 'easiest' part of his body, Hermione wanted to start with the part of her body that she felt would be the hardest. _My feet and hands are the furthest from my core. That means they are the furthest from the stem of my magic. I have to channel my magic to my extremities. Channel the magic, channel the magic. Send it to the extremities. Channel the magic to the extremities._

Before any of them had realized that the time had passed, the clock struck 9:00. They rose slowly, stretching as they went, and they left, one by one. Remus and Severity, after she had replaced her disguise, headed for Remus's office for a night cap, Draco headed for the dungeons, and Hermione recast her invisibility spell and set off for the library. She now had to figure out how to reappear so that her friends thought she had been spit back out by the book. As she walked into the library, she saw Harry, Ron, and Neville standing in front of Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.

Neville looked contemplative, Harry looked murderous, and Ron was obviously preparing to calm his hot-tempered friend down from what was inevitably going to be a huge tantrum. Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked jovial as always. He glanced up as she walked in, but the other occupants of the room did not notice his movements. Dumbledore picked up the book again, giving the impression that he was examining it again. Hermione moved in front of him, and as he opened the book, she quickly removed the invisibility spell. She was greeted by three voices screaming her name.

"What happened? Are you okay? I followed you when I heard the book drop, but I couldn't find you. Did you really get vanished by the book?"

"What was it like? Did you go somewhere?"

"Were you able to see all of us?"

Hermione was bombarded with questions, and not knowing which to answer first, she turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Thank you Professor. I'm not sure if I could have gotten back without you."

Professor Dumbledore gave her a knowing smile, nodded at the four students, and left the library. Meanwhile, the boys were still asking questions. Hermione glanced apologetically at Madam Pince, who was glaring at them for the commotion that they were currently making. "Boys…BOYS! Let's go back to the common room and I will tell you all about it. I think Madam Pince wants us to leave."

The boys grudgingly followed Hermione out of the library, and headed to their common room, where they spent the better part of the night asking and answering questions. By the time they went to bed, it was well past midnight and they all knew they would be paying for it tomorrow.

**D.A.D.A.- Tuesday Morning**

The Gryffindors slowly walked towards the Defense against the Dark Arts class room. As they walked in, they saw what looked like stations set up around the room. They saw a large water tank that was covered by a dark veil in one corner of the room, a large cabinet in another corner, and in the center of the room they saw what looked like a small room. Hermione recognized it immediately as one of Professor Lupin's tests.

"Settle down, now. As you can see, I have placed three stations in the room: the tank, the cabinet, and then this small room. These are challenges that I expect you all to be able to pass. You will stay at your seats until I call you; at which point, you will go to the first station. Once you complete the first task, you will move onto the second, and then the third. Remember, that I am not looking for perfection, nor am I looking for speed in these tasks. I just want you to be able to cope. We have the rest of the year to practice and refine your techniques.

"Now, who would like to start?"

Those that saw Hermione's hand shoot up were far from surprised; however, what most people were looking at the other raised hand in the crowd. "Neville, I'm glad to see you are willing to start us off. Please follow me, and prepare yourself." They walked over to the tank and Professor Lupin pulled aside the curtain enough for Neville to see the creature that resided inside. A Grindylow came to the glass and then dove into the depths of the water. The tank was deceptive; it turned out to be much deeper than it appeared. Professor Lupin then explained the task.

"Your goal will be to retrieve a relic at the bottom of the tank. I will cast a bubble head charm on you so that you can breathe. I just want you to get past the Grindylow. Your task starts when the bubble head charm is applied. Get ready now…go."

Neville quickly jumped into the water, at which point, the ugly creature charged at him. Professor Lupin was impressed to see that Neville quickly and accurately shot it in the face with a stunning spell. He then swam to the bottom, grabbed the item and resurfaced.

"Well done, Neville. I don't think I could have done it any better. Move along to the cabinet. You should know exactly what to do. I will remove the stunning charm and then explain this task to the next student." He then turned to the class and asked for the next volunteer. Seeing that Neville had made it through unscathed, the rest of the class stopped worrying about the tasks.

Neville had cautiously approached the cupboard, noticing that it was rattling slightly. It took him a very short time to realize what was in the cabinet. _It's a boggart. I can take care of that. I just have to think about what scares me the most. I've gotten control of my fear of Professor Snape, so what is my biggest fear?_ Thankfully, the area with the boggart was blocked from view, because Neville's fear was not what he expected.

Neville opened the door of the cabinet and out stepped Draco Malfoy. In the Slytherin's voice, the boggart began to speak. "I know, Longbottom. I know about you. I know what you are hiding. It gets better, though. I know that you are a…"

Before the boggart had a chance to finish its sentence, Neville said a quick 'Riddikulous' and the boggart finished its sentence. "…wonderfully talented person. I wish I was you." Then, with a bang, it returned to the cabinet.

With a smile on his face, Neville stepped up for the final task. Professor Lupin was explaining the first task to Hermione now; Lavender had already passed it. As Hermione dove into the tank, the Professor walked over to Neville. "Are you ready for this? I will not be telling you what is inside the room. You will have to find your way out of the box. I will time you. The person with the fastest time gets ten house points. Ready…Go!"

Neville took off at a run and entered the room. He was expecting a cramped room, but it seemed to be as large as the classroom. It was pitch black and completely quiet. He lit his wand and began walking the perimeter of the room. He soon saw movement in the center of the room and as he turned his light to the middle of the room, he saw a death eater. Once the death eater saw Neville, it turned and began firing spell after spell. Neville was forced to dodge the onslaught of spells while trying to take out the death eater. Within six minutes, Neville shot a well placed disarming spell, which hit the death eater square in the chest. Instantly, the lights in the room came on and a door appeared in the wall.

Neville exited and calmly took his seat. He knew that he had done very well for himself; although, he was still a little disturbed by the boggart. _I didn't even realize that I was afraid of people knowing. Why would it be Malfoy, though? That doesn't make any sense_. Within the next hour, all of his classmates had finished the tasks.

"I would like to commend you all on your excellent skills. It seems that you have been practicing. I know that you have seen the boggart before, as well as the Grindylow, but I wanted to show you what to expect for your N.E.W.T.s practical exam. I would like to announce that the winner of today's completion was Miss Granger, who finished the third task in less than three minutes. Now, I want you all to write me a twelve inch essay on giants and how you would protect yourself against them. It is due next Tuesday. Have a good afternoon. I will see you on Friday."

As the class was filing out, Lupin decided it was time to talk to Harry about extra lessons. He knew that Severity was right about Harry. As he is now, he would not will a battle against Lord Voldemort. "Harry, could I have a word with you?"

"Of course, Professor, what's up?"

"Harry, I would like to talk to you about possibly giving you extra lessons. We all know that the battle with Voldemort is growing nearer every day and I am not sure that you are ready to face him. I know that you are worried about those around you getting too involved, but I want you to understand that we are all here to help you. I think, if we were to have lessons every Thursday evening, that we can really improve your skills."

With a deep breath and a sigh, Harry spoke. "I know I am not ready, but I'm not really sure what you can teach me. I can't use my wand against him."

I know that, Harry. But I have, with some help, devised a plan that should help you fight him. Meet me in my office at 7:00pm on Thursday and I will explain it in more detail. Now, off to lunch with you."

Harry recognized this as a dismissal and he picked up his bag and headed to lunch. He couldn't wait to tell the others about his new lessons. Although, it meant that they needed to figure out a good day for the D.A. to meet. Thursdays were now out of the question. He continued to contemplate this as he walked, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the Great Hall.


	9. A New Disguise

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Authors Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot to me. I'm sorry my chapters have been delayed. This is my first fanfic, so it's coming along slowly. I tried to make this one a little longer for you. Happy Reading!

**The Headmaster's office, Wednesday Evening**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his large office contemplatively. _What is the next move? Where do I go from here?_ He soon began to mumble to himself; it was obvious that he had forgotten that he was not alone in the room. "Albus…ALBUS!"

Albus quickly looked up; very clearly startled. "Wha…What Severity? Why are you yelling at me?"

"Because you were murmuring to yourself and you still haven't moved yet. Would you care to take your turn?" As she said this, Severity gestured towards the chess set that was sitting between them. Severity's queen and bishop currently had Albus's king cornered. He only had a couple of available moves, none of which would save him for very long.

"Ah. I've got it!" Albus suddenly exclaimed.

"Albus, you know that you can't win. I was examining the board while you were in your little world, and there are no moves that will get you out of this." Severity spoke with a haughty expression on her face.

"You know, Sev, humility is a good trait to have. I may not be able to beat you, but I can certainly give you a run for your money." With that, he moved his castle swiftly across the board and took Severity's bishop. Severity moved her queen forward, catching Albus in a check mate.

"Slytherins do not believe in humility, Albus. You should know that my now," she said with a chuckle.

"Now that you have humored me with a game of wizard's chess, about what did you wish to speak with me?" With a wave of his hand, the chess board vanished.

Severity took a deep breath before speaking. She wasn't sure what Albus would think about his plan. "Hermione came over for tea on Sunday and we discussed, among other things, the D.A. The Potter boy apparently wants to teach the students to become Animagi. He thinks it might give us an advantage in the impending battle; however, I worry that they might injure themselves or each other trying to teach themselves to become Animagi."

Albus was silent for a moment and then slowly spoke the thought that was floating around in his head. "I believe that Harry has the beginnings of a good battle plan. Animagi would confuse Voldemort, especially if the children were fighting and changing during the battle. I do believe that you are correct in your fear of them hurting themselves, though. You are working with Hermione and Draco on their forms, am I correct?"

"Yes. We began the practical lessons this past Monday. They are practicing every night before they go to bed, also. What are you thinking, Albus? I can see something stirring behind those eyes of yours."

Albus smiled at this. "You have always been able to read me like a book, haven't you? I was thinking that the D.A. will need a teacher for this task; a knowledgeable teacher that will be able to quickly and easily teach a class of 'dunderheads.' Do you think you can devise a new disguise, Sev? You would be the optimal teacher for the D.A. How far from your normal appearance can you change?"

"Yes, Albus, I have always been able to read you like a book. You carry your thoughts in your eyes. If one were looking, they could see everything they needed. At least they could see everything that you do not have blocked from sight.

"As for the appearance changing, I think we should talk to Minerva. She knows more about the dissimulo spell than I do. We developed the disguise together, but she figured out the spell. Why don't you call her here and I will order some tea for us."

"That's a splendid idea, Sev." Albus walked towards the fireplace and grabbed floo powder. Soon, his head was deep in the flames, and he seemed to be speaking to someone.

"POLLY!"

**POP** "What is Mistress wanting?

"Polly, could you please bring us tea for three? And perhaps some of those silly little candies that the Headmaster loves? Thank you. And it might be beneficial for us to speak with Hermione. After you bring us our tea, could you please let her know that she is expected in the Headmaster's office?"

"Polly will do it fast for Mistress." **POP**

Severity turned back towards the fireplace and saw that Minerva had come through to the office. She was in the process of dusting herself off when she saw Severity. "By Merlin…It has been a long time since I have seen you without your disguise. You look wonderful, Sev."

"Thank you, Minerva. It is nice, on occasion, to be without the grease that goes with the disguise. I have ordered us tea and I requested the presence of Hermione. I think we will need to fill her in on the plan so she can explain how she has found a teacher for the Animagi training."

They moved to the sitting room, which was attached to the office. "So, Sev, if I understand what Albus is saying, you are in need of a new disguise. Do you have any ideas?"

"I was thinking I should be as different as possible. I don't think I should look anything like a Snape. Some of the students might ask questions. I was thinking that I could be female this time." She said with a chuckle. "Possibly a blonde or brunette; I think the black is too recognizable."

Severity took out her wand and with a jab and flick, an image of a beautiful woman appeared. She had dirty blonde, short, spiked hair, a petite nose and luscious lips. She had a slender but muscular build, much like Severity's natural build. "Do you think this would be a good look for me?"

"I definitely think we can work with this. Give me a few minutes to work out the right wording, and then I will have the tweaked spell for you." While Minerva worked, Severity and Albus quietly discussed the way to teach the D.A. to become Animagi with a fast paced curriculum.

"I think we are going to have to severely reduce the theoretical training. I hate to do that, but I can't foresee any of them getting through the practical training without skipping the theoretical training. We also have to address the fact that not all of them will be able to be Animagi in the first place."

"I know Sev. I worry about the training as well. Isn't there a potion that can identify whether or not someone is capable of becoming an Animagus? Do you know the potion of which I speak? I know I have heard of it before."

"Now that you mention it, Albus, I did read something about that. I'm sure I can make it easily enough. I will go in search of it after this meeting. By the way, I invited Hermione to this meeting. I think she needs to know the plan."

Albus glanced at the door, and then back to Severity. "I expected you to. I assume she will be here soon. She was never one to ignore a summons, especially when it is you who has asked for her."

Severity looked at Albus with contemplation. "What are you trying to say, Albus?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." He turned towards Minerva and spoke: "How is it coming, Minerva? Are you almost done?"

"One more thing and…I'm done. So, Sev, the motion will be the same. Run your hand up your body to put the spell in place, and then down your body to remove it. The incantation is a little different, though. It will be 'dissimulo secondus.' Why don't you try it now and we can see how the disguise looks."

Severity ran her hand up her body and felt the tell tale sign of change. Her skin rippled and when the tingling stopped, she looked in the mirror. There stood the image she had conjured earlier. The only difference was the eyes…she still had her onyx eyes. "Now, what will my name be?"

They all sat for a moment in thought, when they were interrupted by the gargoyle statue that guards the Headmasters office. In a deep, gruff voice, it spoke: "Professors, a student approaches. She says that she has an appointment."

"Send her in, Gregory." And with a nod, Gregory the gargoyle retreated back to his post.

**Moments earlier, Gryffindor Common Room**

Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville were sitting by the fireplace. Hermione was working with Neville on their Charms homework, while Ron and Harry were pretending to do their Divination homework. "So what do you think Lupin is going to teach you?"

"I'm not sure. I just hope it is something that will work. I'm worried that it will be a waste of time. I hope his plan is worth something, because I'm really worried about facing Voldemort without the use of my wand."

"Harry, Professor Lupin knows what he is doing. It will be fine. I'm sure he has a solid plan. He…"

**POP**

Hermione stopped talking at the sound to find a house elf standing in front of her. "Master Dumbledore wants Polly to bring you a message. He says you is needed in his office."

Harry spoke before anyone else. "Okay, I will head up there right now."

The house elf violently shook her head; so much so that she knocked herself over from the force. "No, no, no, not you. He is wanting to talk to Miss Granger. Please go soon. Master Dumbledore is a busy Wizard." **POP**

"Why would he want to talk to me?" Hermione asked when Polly had popped out. "I guess I better head to his office. As Polly says, 'he is a busy wizard.' I will see you guys later." She put all of her books away and then walked out of the common room. She didn't see that behind her, Harry was bright red and looked incredibly angry. Ron and Neville shot each other glances that very obviously translated to 'what is up with him?'

When Hermione arrived in the Headmaster's office, she was surprised to see both the Headmaster and her head of house. She had not noticed the figure standing in the corner. "You wanted to speak with me, Sir?"

The person in the corner spoke first, in a soft, sultry tone. "Yes, Miss Granger, we wanted to speak with you." As she spoke, Severity, in her new disguise, stepped forward from the shadow. "Do you know who I am?"

Hermione glanced from Professor to Professor, finally resting her gaze on the woman who was now standing in the middle of the room. She took a moment to study the woman in front of her, from her black high heels to her dirty blonde hair. There was no denying that this woman was stunning, but what stood out the most were her eyes. When Hermione answered, she spoke with conviction. "Severity, I would know those eyes anywhere."

"Bullocks, I was hoping you wouldn't notice. What if other people recognize me, too?"

Hermione was the first to respond. "I don't think that will be an issue. For me, it is obvious because we are so close. I doubt any of your students truly look you in the eyes. I can't imagine anyone recognizing you by your eyes alone; except, of course, Drake and Remus."

The blonde Severity looked as though she was going to speak again when Professor Dumbledore cut her off. "Well, now that we have settled that little matter, you need a new name for the new face, and we need to figure out when the next D.A. meeting will be. Also, Severity is going to whip up a potion which will allow you to tell if you can actually become an animagus."

"That's fantastic. I guess those that can't become Animagi can become our curse specialists. As for the meeting time, we have been struggling to find a good day that doesn't interrupt Quidditch practice, Drake and my Animagus lessons, and Harry's lessons with Remus. I think the only night that leaves us is Tuesday nights. I will confirm that with Harry, Ron, and Neville and then send an owl to you with the…actually, it will just be easier to give you each one of these." She pulled a galleon out of her pocket and showed it to them.

"These coins are the method in which we announce meeting dates and times. They heat up when we make a change, and then the numbers around the edge of the coin change to the date and time of the next meeting. Will two be sufficient?"

"Yes, my dear. And I must say that it is a very clever idea."

Hermione blushed at Professor Dumbledore's compliment. "Thank you, sir. We needed a way to alert everyone without Umbridge getting in the way. Do you have two galleons to spare?"

Professor Dumbledore quickly reached into his desk and pulled out two coins. He handed them to Hermione, who immediately began a long and involved incantation. Within minutes, the coins took on a bright red color and then, just as suddenly, returned to their normal golden sheen. She handed one to Professor Dumbledore and one to the blonde Severity.

"These will now heat up when I change the date on my coin. I plan to do so tonight once I talk to the boys. Just…be careful not to spend it by mistake. It takes a lot of energy to link the coins." She sounded a little out of breath as she spoke.

Professor McGonagall looked surprised, and for the first time since Hermione had arrived, she spoke. "That was an impressive bit of magic you did, Miss Granger. That incantation was similar to that used to make portkeys. While I knew you were talented, I was unaware of how much you had progressed under Remus and Severity's tutelage. Do you get anything out of your classes anymore?"

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said with a smile, "And no…I do not really get anything out of classes. I finished my seventh year schooling about two years ago. I just go through the motions so people don't notice." She finished with a shrug, which very obviously asked a simple question: 'what choice do I have?'

"What classes are you the most interested in?"

"Well, I really enjoy…well my favorite subject is…" Hermione sighed and began again. "I don't think I can actually choose just one. I really enjoy all of them. Transfiguration is really fun, I love charms and potions, and there are so many options in defense against dark arts that I don't think I could ever pick just one."

All three professors chuckled at this. "Well Severity, if you ever questioned that Miss Granger was like you, never fear. You realize that is exactly what you said to us when you were training?"

"I had realized, thank you for pointing it out, Minerva. Now, what is your idea?"

"Well, I was going to suggest that the professors, of the classes in which she is interested, could prepare course work for her that is closer to graduate level. That way she can stop being bored in classes and actually learn something new."

"Would you really be able to do that? I would love that more than you can imagine. Although, would I have to do that work on top of the other work? I ask because the usual work, while easy for me, is still time consuming. I'm just not sure if I would have time to do both."

"That is understandable. I will see what I can arrange. Severity, would you be willing to help out?"

"I'm not sure why you bother to ask. You know that I will of course do whatever I can to help Hermione. And might I suggest doing the same for Draco? He is way above the level of the other students."

"I was noticing that also. I will speak with March Flitwick about preparing extra course work for the Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy. I'm sure Remus would do it as well. If you don't mind, I will go speak with March now."

"Of course, Minerva, just let me know what he says and I will pass the message on to Severity. She can then pass it on to Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger." Once the Headmaster had finished speaking, Professor McGonagall rose from her seat and took her leave. "As for a name for your blonde disguise, I think a strong yet feminine name will be needed. Perhaps something like Ashley; then go by Ash, which I believe is quite strong."

"Interesting thought, Albus, I like the idea of it being completely different than Severity or Severus. While firm, my names are quite recognizable. Do I look like an Ash in this form?"

Hermione took a moment to ponder the question, and then slowly began to nod. "I think it fits perfectly. Good choice, Headmaster."

Severity hesitated a moment, looked in the mirror and repeated the name a few times. "Ash…Ash…Ash. I think I like it. But what should my last name be?"

Hermione answered this time: "I don't think it really matters. I think it should not be anything like Snape, nor should it sound similar to Dumbledore or McGonagall. We don't want people to think you are related to any of the faculty. How about you use something simple like Jones, Wilson, or Miller?"

"Ash Jones…Ash Wilson…Ash Miller…I think I like Ashley 'Ash' Jones. It's simple, and I think it fits the blonde appearance. Thank you for your help. Now, I need to go do some grading, so if you will excuse me, I will be going." Severity removed the Ash Jones persona and replaced it with Severus Snape, and then, with a nod, Professor Snape stormed out of the room.

"I'm glad we were able to work things out for you, Miss Granger. Why don't you go back to your common room? I'm sure their friends will be anxious to know why you were summoned to the Headmaster's office. Have a lovely evening."

Hermione thanked the headmaster and headed out the door towards the Gryffindor tower.

**Gryffindor Common Room**

As Hermione climbed through the portrait she was bombarded with questions. "Guys, relax, Professor Dumbledore just had a couple things to talk to me about. Sit down so we can talk quietly, please.

"Now, firstly, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are setting up a study program for me, since I know all of the seventh year material. I will be doing different work than you will be in charms, potions, transfiguration and D.A.D.A. Secondly, somehow Professor Dumbledore found out that we were planning to learn to become Animagi. Sometimes I think that man knows too much for his own good, but he has found someone to teach us. Her name is Ashley Jones. I'm not sure how they know each other, but she seems knowledgeable.

"And, to top it all off, Professor Dumbledore knows of and can get us a potion that allows the imbiber to know if he or she can become an Animagus. That way those that can't transform can work on improving their cursing and counter-cursing skills."

Harry looked pensive for a moment. "That all sounds good, but why didn't he want to talk to me? I am the one teaching the group. Wouldn't it have made more sense to speak to me about it?"

Ron and Neville exchanged a knowing glance. They saw where this was headed, even if Harry didn't. "Harry, don't get upset. Professor Dumbledore obviously had other things to talk to Hermione about. He probably assumed that he could just do it in one meeting instead of two. Relax, mate, it's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal, Ron. Professor Dumbledore should have talked to me. No offense, Hermione, but I am in charge of the group, and I need to be the person he talks to. Plus, I know more about curses and stuff than you do." Harry began with a tone of anger, but by the time he finished he just gave off an air of arrogance. Hermione was most definitely steaming, but it was Neville that spoke in a quiet, but dangerous voice.

"Harry, you are bang out of order. You know damn well that Hermione is the smartest witch in our year. Get your head out of your arse and realize that you are not the only one affected by this war." As he finished his sentence, Harry went to argue, so Neville cut him off again. "Yes, Harry, we know that you are the _one_ and you will be the person to face Voldemort, but you need to get over yourself and realize that we are just as involved in this war as you are.

"And, as a side note, have you ever really looked at the fact that everything you teach the D.A. Hermione teaches you first? Except, of course, the patronus? Take a look around you, for once, and maybe you will see what it's like in the real world." With that, Neville nodded at Ron and Hermione and stormed out of the common room.

"Can you believe him?" Harry asked incredulously.

Ron and Hermione answered at the same time, startling Harry with their vehemence. "Yes, I can."

"Now, before you get even more upset, we need to pick a day for the next D.A. meeting. I think Tuesdays at 8:00pm will be an acceptable time. What do you think?"

Ron answered first, as harry still looked a little shell shocked. "Tuesdays work for me. They shouldn't interfere with practices or lessons. Harry?"

"Um…yeah…Tuesdays work for me too…I'm going to go for a walk. I will talk to you later." He then walked out of the common room.

Ron glanced at Hermione before he began to speak. "Well that was unexpected. He was out of line saying that he is better than you, you know? Neville and I both know that you run the D.A. behind the scenes. I never expected Neville to get angry like that, though. Have you ever heard him talk like that before? It was a bit scary, to tell the truth."

"I know. I do appreciate your support. I know Harry doesn't mean it, but it hurts all the same, sometimes. Okay, well I'm going to change the date on the coins and then study a bit. I will see you in the morning for breakfast. Goodnight, Ron."

She headed up to her room, leaving Ron to figure out a way to calm his two best friends down so that they don't kill each other.

Author's note continued:

Spells-

Dissimulo=disguise in Latin

Dissimulo secondus= secondary disguise in Latin


End file.
